[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 167 (Wednesday, October 31, 2007)]
[House]
[Page H12352]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   MAKING TRADE ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS BETTER FOR THE FUTURE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. English) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, as the United States enters 
a new era of trade liberalization, where foreign competition and an 
evolving international market challenge the historic preeminence of 
America's manufacturing base, Congress must be vigilant in upholding 
its commitment to working people and update the safety-net programs 
that were created to help America's families stay afloat during 
challenging and troubling economic times.
  As the growing global economy continues to reduce barriers to trade, 
domestic employers are forced to respond to new opportunities and 
challenges alike. The Trade Adjustment Assistance programs collectively 
assist in the transition involved in overcoming these challenges.
  Today, Mr. Speaker, the House passed landmark legislation to extend 
these critical safety-net programs to American workers and employers 
who have suffered from foreign trade. The reauthorization of these 
programs represents an opportunity for significant reform and 
enhancement and will serve as one of the milestones that can be a 
foundation for strengthening U.S. trade policy.
  Since 1975, over 3 million American workers have been certified for 
assistance under the TAA for Workers program, and more than 2 million 
workers have directly received assistance. In the last 10 years, the 
TAA for Firms program has saved more than 60,000 jobs. In my district 
in western Pennsylvania, more than 20 companies have gone through the 
program and, as a result, have been able to save and even create new 
jobs for local workers.
  Clearly, the TAA programs as a group have an impressive record of 
success. And the bill that we voted on today, although not designed 
exactly as I would have preferred, is a strong step forward in 
strengthening these programs so that they are more efficient, more 
robust, more flexible and more user friendly.
  H.R. 3920 would move to overhaul and reauthorize the TAA for Workers, 
Firms and Farmers programs for an additional 5 years, through 2012. 
Importantly, the measure would speed the delivery of benefits by 
establishing an automatic industry certification system for workers 
negatively impacted by trade.
  As you know, Mr. Speaker, the TAA certification process has been a 
bureaucratic nightmare of red tape that has plagued the program for a 
long time. H.R. 3920 would replace the current sluggish and Byzantine 
system which requires the Department of Labor to individually approve 
the petitions for assistance for these workers. The establishment of an 
automatic industry certification alone will be a dramatic improvement 
on current law.
  In addition, the bipartisan measure would extend eligibility to 
service workers, such as engineers, boost health care benefits, and 
improve wage insurance programs. In fact, many of these provisions 
rather closely mirror legislation that I introduced early this year, 
H.R. 910, the American Competitiveness and Adjustment Act.
  As cochair of the TAA Coalition, I have long advocated for the 
strengthening and streamlining of these critical safety-net programs, 
and I am proud to have been a part of today's House action, which has 
been years in the making.
  By expanding and clarifying benefits, cutting through mountains of 
red tape and channeling the right resources toward retraining, H.R. 
3920 represents the most important restructuring of TAA since the 
program's inception. In my view, the Congress has a fundamental 
obligation to American employers and workers to devote the time 
necessary to make significant improvements to the program this year.
  I look forward to working with my colleagues to advance these 
commonsense improvements to vastly accelerate and enhance the 
opportunities afforded workers displaced by trade, as well as augment 
the competitiveness of American employers before they are forced to 
furlough workers.
  TAA has proven to be a lifeline for American workers displaced by 
trade. It has prevented thousands of American companies from 
surrendering to the often increased pressure of the international 
marketplace, despite their innate ability to compete on a level playing 
field and to succeed in doing so.
  House passage of this bill clears the first hurdle in helping to make 
TAA better for the future.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge the Senate to act swiftly on this critical issue. 
American workers, employers and indeed our economy cannot wait.

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