[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 77 (Wednesday, June 12, 2002)]
[House]
[Page H3458]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRADE ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE

  (Ms. ESHOO asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Trade 
Adjustment Assistant Compromise based on legislation that the gentleman 
from Texas (Mr. Bentsen) and I introduced in the House and which passed 
the Senate last month. This compromise represents the first major 
overhaul of this 40-year-old program. For the first time in our 
history, a health care benefit is provided for unemployed workers as a 
result of trade. It increases eligibility, it doubles funding for 
worker training, it harmonizes the NAFTA TAA, it expands income support 
from 52 weeks to 78 weeks, and it allows for shifts in production to 
any country, not just Canada or Mexico.

                              {time}  1500

  I want to tell a quick story that underscores this point. Last month 
3,300 electronic workers who were laid off from JDS Uniphase in my 
region were denied TAA benefits because their factory moved to China. 
At the same time workers in Connecticut were eligible for TAA because 
their plant moved to Canada, and that is because workers only receive 
TAA benefits if their plant moves to Canada or Mexico.
  Another problem with the program is that it covers workers who make 
cars but not those who make the parts that go into them. We need a 21st 
century policy on the duality of trade. We should have fair trade, and 
fair treatment should be the partners.
  I urge all House Members to support this in the conference.

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