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“RELIEF FOR DISPLACED WORKERS” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Labor was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H6105 on Oct. 2, 2001.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
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RELIEF FOR DISPLACED WORKERS
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Simmons). Under a previous order of the House, the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin) is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to urge quick action to address a crisis in our country. The number of workers displaced from the airlines and related industries since the devastating terrorist attacks of September 11 have been steadily growing and now stretches beyond 100,000.
Our air infrastructure is, in many ways, the backbone of our economy; and its strength is essential to the economic health of the United States. The September 11 tragedy and subsequent shutdown of the airways had a severe financial impact on carriers and led to massive layoffs. In response, this House passed, with my support, a $15 billion package of cash assistance and loan guarantees to help the airlines weather this recent storm.
It continues to be my strong hope that by promoting the continued viability of air travel this aid will also help other businesses relying upon the airline industry, businesses like aircraft manufacturers, travel agents, rental car agencies, hotels and restaurants, all of which have been affected by the recent shutdown in air travel.
Unfortunately, the airline assistance package is unlikely to help the thousands of workers who have lost their jobs in recent weeks, and we must not turn our backs on them in this critical time. If we truly hope to boost our Nation's economy, we must ensure that these men and women receive unemployment benefits, health care, and the training needed to minimize the transition time between jobs.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be an original co-sponsor of legislation which will give these workers a helping hand at a time when it is desperately needed. These measures introduced by the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Gephardt) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings) and the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Hart) would allow displaced airline industry employees to petition the Department of Labor for special benefits akin to those provided under the Trade Adjustment Assistance program.
Specifically, eligible employees would receive unemployment benefits for 78 weeks instead of the usual 26, and even those who would not otherwise qualify for unemployment would be entitled to 26 weeks of benefits.
In addition, laid-off workers would receive up to 78 weeks of job-
training assistance to ensure they could re-enter the workforce as quickly as possible.
Finally, displaced workers would be provided up to 18 months of federally subsidized COBRA premiums, and those workers without COBRA would receive temporary Medicaid coverage.
Just as importantly, the assistance would be available to all airline and airport workers, including transit workers, as well as employees of airline suppliers, such as service workers and airplane manufacturers.
Mr. Speaker, we took an important first step by providing financial assistance to stabilize the airlines, restore confidence in air travel, and protect the millions of workers still employed in the airline industry. However, our work cannot end there. We must act quickly on behalf of the workers and their families who have been impacted by widespread layoffs. They desperately need our help to pay bills, buy groceries, maintain access to health care, and learn the skills they need to quickly find new employment.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in telling these hardworking Americans that we have heard their plea and they can count on us to respond.
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