[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 23 (Monday, February 14, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E221-E222]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     OPPOSING FAILURE TO EXTEND TAA

                                  _____
                                 

                        HON. FORTNEY PETE STARK

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, February 14, 2011

  Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to lament the expiration of the 
improved Trade Globalization Adjustment Assistance Act enacted in 2009. 
By refusing to extend this, the

[[Page E222]]

Republicans have severely undermined the effectiveness of this vital 
program that helps people who have lost their jobs due to trade.
  TAA has had bipartisan support for fifty years. There are workers in 
all 50 states who received assistance under this legislation. TAA 
ensures that we support American workers when their jobs are shipped 
overseas. It provides these workers training for new jobs, health 
coverage and assistance with their job search.
  The 2009 reforms brought TAA into a new era so that service sector 
workers could also benefit from the program. This improved program 
allowed workers who lost their jobs to China or India, and not just 
countries with which we have a Free Trade Agreement, to benefit from 
the program. It also expanded the health coverage tax credit to 80% 
from 65% of premium costs and granted an extra 26 weeks of income 
support for workers in training.
  In just the last eighteen months, over 400,000 workers qualified for 
benefits under the TAA program, and nearly 27,000 of them are in 
California. Nearly half of those workers qualified under the provisions 
adopted in 2009. These new, expanded benefits have now expired because 
of Republican inaction.
  The Republican majority is focused on cutting $100 billion from the 
budget, voting on Patriot Act wiretaps, and taking away health care 
from millions of Americans. What they aren't doing is helping workers. 
By allowing the 2009 TAA reforms to expire, the Republicans have once 
again demonstrated that their priorities are out of line with the needs 
of ordinary Americans.
  We owe it to these hundreds of thousands of workers to support them 
when their job moves overseas. I urge the Republican leaders of 
Congress to bring an extension of Trade and Globalization Adjustment 
Assistance Act of 2009 to the floor as quickly as possible.

                          ____________________