[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 13 (Friday, January 27, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E81]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            PORT OPPORTUNITY, REINVESTMENT AND TRAINING ACT

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                            HON. JANICE HAHN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, January 27, 2012

  Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker, one of the unfortunate, oft-neglected effects 
of the financial crisis has been chronically high teen unemployment. 
This past summer, the unemployment rate for teenagers in California 
reached an astonishing 35 percent, which is well above the high rate 
for all Californians. For many teens, summer is a time to find their 
first jobs and learn their first lessons about making and managing 
money. Those experiences, however, are becoming less common as high 
school students find it harder to obtain summer employment. As study 
after study has shown, high rates of unemployment and stagnant wages 
have been linked with higher crime rates. Alleviating youth 
unemployment, therefore, isn't just about giving kids something to do 
over the summer, it's about giving them skills they can use the rest of 
their lives.
  That is why I have introduced the ``Port Opportunity, Reinvestment 
and Training (PORT) Act.'' This legislation authorizes the creation of 
a grant program at ports throughout the country to hire eligible high 
school students over the summer. This is a win-win for the American 
economy. Our nation's ports have long been engines of economic growth, 
and so there is no better place for students to learn the skills they 
need to compete in today's workforce.
  These grants are an investment in the communities that need them 
most. Not only will these grants put money in the pockets of high 
school students facing unprecedented levels of unemployment, but they 
will rejuvenate regions that have been devastated by the financial 
crisis.
  I urge my colleagues to support this crucial investment in our 
students, our communities, and our economy.

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