[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 68 (Thursday, May 8, 2003)]
[House]
[Page H3766]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      VOTE AGAINST WORKFORCE REINVESTMENT AND ADULT EDUCATION ACT

  (Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute.)
  Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak 
out against H.R. 1261, the Workforce Reinvestment and Adult Education 
Act. The unemployment rate in this country jumped to 6 percent last 
month, leaving 8.8 million Americans without a job. The Republican 
response to this crisis is a very weak bill that does nothing to 
creates jobs for American workers. The bill also eliminates funding to 
provide job search and job training assistance to dislocated workers 
and to those affected by these mass layoffs. Moreover, this bill does 
nothing to restore the $440 million in cuts already imposed on the job 
training programs of this Nation, nor does it protect against an 
additional $265 million in proposed cuts for fiscal year 2004.
  We need to enact legislation that creates jobs. This bill, coupled 
with another large tax cut, does nothing to help low-income workers who 
need relief from this struggling economy. What will it take for this 
administration to realize that their plans are not working? 7 percent 
unemployment? 10 percent unemployment?
  I urge my colleagues to vote against H.R. 1261 and the other 
legislation that leaves our Nation's unemployed workers behind.

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