[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 1]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 260]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        INTRODUCTION OF THE AMERICAN WORKER TEMPORARY RELIEF ACT

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                            HON. TODD TIAHRT

                               of kansas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, January 7, 2003

  Mr. TIAHRT. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing the American Worker 
Temporary Relief Act, legislation which will extend for 13 weeks 
unemployment compensation for those Americans whose benefits expired on 
December 28. If enacted, this bill will enable approximately 800,000 
Americans--including 6,000 laid-off workers in my state of Kansas--to 
begin receiving benefits again.
  The American Worker Temporary Relief Act is an important step in 
helping our workers through these tough economic times. Many have been 
severely affected by a lingering recession and the economic effects of 
the September 11, and we, as elected representatives of the people, 
cannot turn our backs on them.
  While this measure is important for immediate relief, I must 
emphasize its title, ``The American Worker Temporary Relief Act.'' Make 
no mistake: This is short term aid. I believe the best and most 
responsible approach Congress can take is to adopt policies designed to 
get our economy growing again. We should work to create a climate in 
which businesses, especially small businesses, can grow and create jobs 
that America needs. We should work to guarantee that hard-working 
Americans are able to keep more of their money to spend in our economy.
  I represent the Fourth District of Kansas, which includes Wichita, 
the Aviation Capital of the World. In the greater Wichita area, we have 
had in excess of 10,000 layoffs in the aircraft manufacturing industry 
as a result of the downturn following the attacks on September 11, and 
have, by far, the highest unemployment rate of any area in the state. 
And while many of these laid-off workers will benefit from the bill I 
am introducing today, they have been unable to qualify for additional 
unemployment benefits available to other high unemployment states due 
to the relative economic health of other areas in our state.
  While I am truly grateful that other parts of my state have been 
spared the high unemployment which is prevalent in the Wichita-area, I 
believe we must review the formula for determining the qualifications 
for more benefits when a particular area has been hard hit. In the 
coming weeks, I will be introducing legislation to fundamentally change 
the procedure for dispersing, unemployment benefits.
  Under the current formula, hard-hit areas of a particular state often 
do not meet the ``trigger'' for unemployment benefits due to the more 
robust economic health of the rest of the state. This policy change, if 
enacted, will guarantee that unemployment assistance will not be 
contingent on an overall state unemployment rate, but a more localized 
approach designed to assist areas of greatest need.
  Mr. Speaker, this change will undoubtedly take time. I look forward 
to working with my colleagues to correct this unjust method of 
measuring econonmic hardship and I will seek their support as we work 
to provide assistance for those areas most in need.
  In the meantime, I urge my colleagues to support legislation to 
extend the unemployment benefits of all Americans whose assistance 
lapsed on December 28. Support the American Worker Temporary Relief 
Act.

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