[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 56 (Tuesday, April 8, 2003)]
[House]
[Page H2870]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      EXTENDED UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF

  (Mr. DeFAZIO asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. DeFAZIO. Madam Speaker, 18 months ago, the Republican leadership 
during the debate on the first $15 billion bailout for the airline 
industry promised that soon, promptly, we would consider employee 
relief, including financial assistance, health insurance and training 
for new careers. It is 18 months later, and those 150,000 airline 
employees are still waiting, 18 months of waiting.
  The airlines project they will lay off another 70,000 because of the 
war with Iraq. Boeing has cut 30,000 workers. They are all still 
waiting for that financial assistance and extended unemployment 
package.
  Finally, today, here on the United States House of Representatives 
floor for the first time, 18 months too late, we are going to take a 
vote on that issue; and we will see where people really stand, whether 
they are with the workers or they just want to bail out the 
corporations.

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