[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 168 (Thursday, November 1, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2305]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             TRADE AND GLOBALIZATION ASSISTANCE ACT OF 2007

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. HILDA L. SOLIS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 31, 2007

  Ms. SOLIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3920, 
the Trade and Globalization Assistance Act of 2007. This bill will 
provide American workers displaced by globalization and trade policy 
with the necessary tools and assurance to compete in the global 
economy.
  Created in 1962, the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program offers 
trade-displaced workers up to two years of job training and income 
support while they transition to different jobs often in new sectors. 
Unfortunately, for too long, thousands of our workers have been denied 
services they are otherwise eligible to receive because of a lack of 
funding or restrictive interpretations of current law. H.R. 3920 
bridges this gap, by not only doubling training funds to $440 million 
but also by providing states with funds for vital outreach to ensure 
that our workers are not lost or forgotten in this increasing global 
age. Eighty percent of all workers in the United States work in the 
service sector industry and I am proud that for the first time they 
will be fully eligible for coverage through this legislation.
  H.R. 3920 also intends to protect our most vulnerable workers--women 
and minorities. While Latinos represent 12.6 percent of the total U.S. 
workforce, they account for 26 percent of textile and apparel industry 
workers. In California, Latinos make up an estimated 80 percent of the 
California garment industry, which has been especially hard-hit by 
NAFTA's impact. As a result, Latino workers have been significantly 
hurt by poorly crafted trade policy. According to the Department of 
Labor, 47 percent of individuals that applied for NAFTA's TAA program 
due to lay offs were Latino.
  Unfortunately, President Bush is threatening to veto this 
legislation, continuing his policy of favoring wealthy Americans over 
middle-class workers. I believe that it is well past time to 
acknowledge the hard fact that trade policy has had a negative impact 
on our nation's workers and it is our job to give them the support they 
need to be active members of our workforce. I urge my colleagues to 
support this legislation, so we can provide displaced workers with the 
tools and resources necessary to compete in the 21st century, and I 
urge President Bush to reconsider his callous threat and stand with us 
to support American workers and American jobs.

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