[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 134 (Tuesday, October 9, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10352-S10353]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   STRUGGLING TOGETHER WITH TERRORISM

  Mrs. CARNAHAN. Mr. President, grief has changed the face of America. 
We are a tear-stained nation, but in spite of that, we are united as 
never before. Americans are wearing symbols on their lapels. They are 
displaying flags from their cars and windows, and they are donating 
millions of dollars to victims' families. America has responded, as we 
always do, with patriotism and purpose.
  Today, we are uniting further in support of our troops flying 
dangerous missions in Afghanistan. This is the first step in a 
prolonged campaign against terrorism. It is a necessary step, and it 
was directed at the right targets--the Taliban government, which has 
given safe harbor to terrorists and to organizations such as theirs for 
far too long.
  Americans are also united in sympathy with the Afghan people. While 
our bombers were flying over Taliban strongholds, our C-17s were 
dropping food to the refugees. Congress has also responded to the 
September 11 attacks with unity and determination. We came together to 
support the people of Washington and New York by providing $40 billion 
to begin the relief effort. We came together to support the President 
and our military by authorizing the use of force in this new struggle 
with terrorism. We came together to aid our airlines by enacting a $15 
billion stabilization package, and with the vote today in favor of 
cloture, we are poised to increase airline security.
  We are now focused on our military action abroad and security issues 
at home, but we also need to deal with the severe economic problems the 
September 11 attacks have caused. Our airlines are now flying and their 
short-term economic crisis has been resolved. Now we must come together 
behind the men and women who are the heart and soul of the airline 
industry--the workers. The layoffs announced in the airline industry 
since September 11 are staggering. We need only look at this chart to 
see Boeing, 30,000; American Airlines, 20,000; United Airlines, 20,000. 
The list goes on and on. Twenty to thirty percent of Boeing's orders 
for new aircraft have been cancelled, and they plan to lay off as many 
as 30,000 workers. Then there are the airport workers, the 
concessionaires, and the workers who make the airlines' meals.
  The total number of announced layoffs in the industry is 140,000, and 
that figure may continue to rise. These are not just numbers on a page. 
These are men and women. These are moms and dads who up until just a 
few weeks ago thought they had good paying jobs, believed they would be 
able to pay their bills, and were saving to send their children to 
college. They believed their future was secure.
  These layoffs are going to affect communities all across the country. 
St. Louis; Kansas City; Springfield, MO, have about 14,000 airline 
workers, and they will be hard hit by these layoffs. The Boeing layoffs 
will also cause hardships for every family in Everett, WA, and Wichita, 
KS. Any city that is home to a large hub airport--Pittsburgh, 
Cleveland, Salt Lake City, Denver, Dallas, Chicago--will feel the 
effects of these layoffs.
  Once the airline safety bill is under consideration, I will offer an 
amendment. It will provide meaningful assistance for airline industry 
workers who have lost their jobs as a result of the September 11 
attacks.

  My amendment will do three things: First, it will provide income 
support because many of these families live from paycheck to paycheck.
  Second, it will provide job training so employees can prepare to work 
in other industries, or new jobs within the airline industry.
  Third, it will give health care benefits so workers can stay in their 
health plan and keep their doctors while they are looking for work.
  The benefits in my proposal would be available to employees of 
airlines, airports, aircraft manufacturers, and suppliers to airlines.
  Obviously, airline industry employees are not the only ones who are 
losing their jobs. When we do an economic stimulus package, I believe 
we should address the problem more broadly. But the impact on the 
airline industry has been abrupt, immediate, and severe. Congress acted 
quickly and decisively to provide $15 billion of assistance for the 
airlines, and we should act with the same level of urgency for the 
airline industry workers.
  It is interesting, when we did the airline bailout, I did not hear my 
colleagues saying we should wait until we came up with a package to 
help other industries that were impacted by the attack. But now, when 
it comes to the workers, all of a sudden some argue we need to slow 
down.
  We did the right thing for the airlines when we acted quickly. We 
should do the same thing for the workers as well.
  Another criticism of this proposal has been assistance is already 
available for displaced workers, and there is no need to provide 
additional help.
  I have modeled my package of benefits on the Trade Adjustment 
Assistance Act, which provides benefits to workers displaced due to 
products imported into the United States.

[[Page S10353]]

  The Trade Adjustment Assistance Act provides additional assistance 
beyond standard unemployment insurance. It also provides resources to 
retrain laid-off workers so they can get back to work.
  In passing the Trade Adjustment Assistance Act, Congress determined 
to support workers who lose their job due to the vagaries of 
international trade. Can we not again determine that workers who are 
laid off as a direct result of a terrorist attack on the United States 
also deserve assistance?
  The primary difference between my amendment and the Trade Adjustment 
Assistance Act is the inclusion of health care coverage for the 
displaced worker. We have had lots of discussion during this Congress 
about how to address the problems of the uninsured. Today is the chance 
for Members to take a courageous step that will prevent 140,000 workers 
and their families from joining the rolls of the uninsured.
  Some have also said the best way to help workers is to keep the 
airlines going. That is about half right. We did the right thing 
helping the airlines, and that has protected thousands of jobs. The 
assistance bill did not do anything for those workers who were put out 
of a job or have no immediate prospects of being rehired and will now 
have to seek work in an economy that has slowed.
  Last week, the President highlighted three things that should dictate 
the way we undertake efforts to stimulate the economy and help 
displaced workers. He said we should take actions that will, first, 
encourage economic growth. Second, we should be bipartisan and instead 
of creating new programs, we should make use of the programs that 
already exist and make them work better. I strongly agree.

  My amendment is consistent with these principles. First, it will 
encourage growth by providing income assistance and job training 
benefits to airline employees who have recently been laid off.
  Second, the amendment has bipartisan support. Senators Fitzgerald, 
Brownback, and Gordon Smith have signed on as cosponsors.
  Finally, it makes use of an existing program, the Trade Adjustment 
Assistance Program, that was put in place to help displaced workers in 
times of need.
  While the President's plan is a step in the right direction, I 
believe we need stronger action at this time. As we did with the 
bailout and the disaster relief package, we need to act boldly. We need 
to make sure those airline industry workers who were laid off suddenly, 
with no time to make preparation, receive immediate assistance, obtain 
retraining, and are able to retain their health care. The President's 
package does not guarantee these benefits for everyone covered by my 
amendment.
  I am extremely pleased this amendment is being supported by the 
airline industry. The airlines know their employees have been dealt a 
severe blow and deserve help. Our Governors have also known many 
communities around the country are going to be hard hit.
  As Carl Sandburg once reminded us, ``We are Americans. Nothing like 
us ever was.''
  Now is the time for us to stand together, and that means standing 
together behind our industries and our workers. Every day we delay, our 
economy suffers. Every day we delay, families struggle to pay bills. 
Every day we delay, children go without health insurance. Let us do 
what is right for those who need it most.
  I am pleased my proposal has received bipartisan support, and I hope 
it will be adopted by the Senate. I ask unanimous consent that a letter 
from the Air Transport Association and a letter from a tripartisan 
group of 13 Governors be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the letters were ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                    Air Transport Association,

                                  Washington, DC, October 1, 2001.
     Hon. Trent Lott,
     Republican Leader, U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Leader: The member airlines of the Air Transport 
     Association deeply appreciate your leadership in obtaining 
     the economic stabilization package enacted September 22. 
     Without this assistance the very viability of the industry 
     would have been in question.
       Even with the adoption of the airline stabilization package 
     many of our members have found it impossible not to furlough 
     large numbers of employees. Just as the economic disaster 
     that has befallen the airline industry is the result of our 
     being used as an instrumentality of the terrorists, these 
     dedicated employees face very serious adverse economic 
     consequences. These employees, along with those still 
     working, are the backbone of our industry. We are working 
     very hard to put this difficult period behind us and, 
     hopefully, bring them back as soon as the economic situation 
     allows us to.
       In the meantime, we strongly support the prompt adoption of 
     legislation to provide these workers with displacement 
     assistance including extended unemployment benefits, training 
     and retraining, and the continuation of health care coverage. 
     It is only fair and reasonable that we ensure that adequate 
     provisions are made for the basic protections for the workers 
     who face extreme economic hardship in the weeks and months 
     ahead.
       The airlines and their workers are inextricably linked in 
     the battle against terrorism. We must ensure that all 
     participants are adequately protected, and we urge the prompt 
     enactment of worker relief legislation.
           Sincerely,
                                                 Carol B. Hallett,
     President and CEO.
                                  ____

                                                  October 1, 2001.
     Hon. Tom Daschle,
     Senate Majority Leader, U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.

     Hon. Trent Lott,
     Senator Minority Leader, U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senators: We applaud the Congress' timely response to 
     appropriate funds for recovery and relief efforts in the 
     aftermath of the devastating attacks of September 11th. 
     Likewise, we strongly supported Congressional legislation to 
     assist the airline industry, which has suffered incredible 
     financial losses.
       However, we believe that the Congress should also provide 
     assistance to displaced workers who have been laid off as a 
     result of the ongoing security crisis. Airlines and related 
     employers are laying off tens of thousands of workers, and 
     industry experts are estimating that more than 130,000 people 
     could lose their jobs. These displaced workers are going to 
     need financial assistance--and because we do not know how 
     long they will be out of work, it is important for the 
     federal government to act now to ensure that the necessary 
     assistance is available to those who might need it.
       S. 1454, the Displaced Workers Assistance Act, would 
     provide financial assistance, training, and health care 
     coverage to those workers displaced due to the attacks of 
     September 11, 2001. The benefits would be distributed within 
     the framework created by the Trade Adjustment Act.
       We are writing in support of S. 1454. States, of course, 
     will finance the initial 26 weeks of unemployment assistance. 
     However, federal financing of an additional 52 weeks of 
     unemployment insurance and the extension of health coverage 
     will protect those unemployed workers that might not 
     otherwise have a safety net. The additional funding to help 
     train those individuals who cannot be expected to return to 
     the airline industry, and those who would need new training 
     to prepare for a different job within the industry, is 
     definitely needed. We also support providing 8 months of 
     Medicaid to those who do not qualify for COBRA coverage, and 
     26 weeks of unemployment compensation to those who would not 
     normally be eligible for their state programs.
       It is difficult at this time to determine how long our 
     displaced workers will be out of work. Obviously, they are 
     going to need financial assistance. States will do their job 
     to assist these vulnerable citizens, but we need the federal 
     government to help provide the funds to do so. Please work 
     with us to enact S. 1454.
       Thank you.
           Sincerely,
                                               13 State Governors.

  Mrs. CARNAHAN. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. Clinton). The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. In my capacity as a Senator from New York, I 
ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be rescinded. Without 
objection, it is so ordered.

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