[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 137 (Friday, October 12, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1879]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          REMARKS ON H.R. 3067

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JANE HARMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 12, 2001

  Ms. HARMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce legislation (H.R. 
3067) that directs the Secretary of Transportation to develop 
regulations giving priority in government and private contractor hiring 
for aviation-related security positions to qualified workers who were 
laid-off as a result of the September 11 attacks.
  The terrorist attacks have had a devastating impact on the men and 
women who work in aviation and aviation-related industries.
  I participated in a video teleconference earlier this week with union 
leaders in my district, which includes Los Angeles International 
Airport, the nation's third-largest airport.
  Representatives from the Flight Attendants Association, the 
International Association of Machinists, the National Air Traffic 
Controllers Association, SEIU, National Treasury Employees Union and 
the Transportation Workers Union testified about how the attacks have 
affected their members. Some, like SEIU, NTEU and the Flight 
Attendants, lost members in the attacks.
  All have seen tremendous job losses. 6,000 flight attendants. 140,000 
in the transportation sector as a whole. 110,000 in the hospitality 
sector. We can not let this continue. We must help these men and women. 
My bill does that.
  It has been nearly three weeks--three weeks!--since this body acted 
to provide airlines with a $15 billion bail-out package. I struggled 
with that vote. The airlines are at the core of the aviation-economy; 
we could not let them go bankrupt. At the same time, I and other 
members of this body were deeply concerned that the bill did not do 
enough for those workers.
  The time to help them is now. One way to do that is by giving those 
who lost jobs preference when new jobs are created. My bill directs the 
Secretary of Transportation to ensure that the first priority in hiring 
aviation security personnel is given to the men and women who were 
working in aviation and at airports before September 11 and were laid 
off as a result of the attacks.
  I urge Members to help these men and women and support this 
legislation.

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