The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“WORLD DAY AGAINST CHILD LABOR” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Labor was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1092-E1093 on June 14, 2010.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
WORLD DAY AGAINST CHILD LABOR
______
HON. PHIL HARE
of illinois
in the house of representatives
Monday, June 14, 2010
Mr. HARE. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support and recognition of World Day Against Child Labor. I join with all of my colleagues in the House, and on both sides of the aisle, in condemning the horrendous practice of child labor. While great strides have been made in eradicating child labor in the United States, this Congress and our Nation must do more to end the practice across the world. Throughout the world, children are exploited and forced to work in often horrendous conditions. As a moral and just society, we can not continue to turn a blind eye.
According to the Child Rights Information Network, from 1997 to 2007, more than 35 percent of African children were subject to illegal child labor. Statistics from other regions are just as alarming. In the Caribbean, Latin America, East Asia and the Pacific, 11 percent of children are laborers, and in South Africa, 13 percent of children are in the workforce. It is clear that we, as leaders in the global economy, must do more to work with the governments in these regions to rid our world of the practice of child labor. However, as we tackle the challenges posed by child labor, we must realize that the primary culprit in the continuation of this practice is global poverty. Unfortunately, many families are left with no other alternative than to send their children into the workforce to help support their family. In our capacity as a world leader, we have a responsibility to raise global standards in order to improve the global standard of living and thus eradicate the demand for child labor.
Madam Speaker, although the problem of child labor in the United States is less evident when compared to the labor issues of many other nations, there is still and always will be progress that can be made. The U.S. Department of Labor calculates that 4 percent of all 14-year-
olds and 8 percent of 15-year-olds are working at ``high intensity'' in the United States. High intensity is defined as a child that works 15 or more hours per week, and more than half of all school year weeks. This may not seem like a difficult burden to carry, but in a Nation with a population of 17 million citizens between the ages of 14 and 17, these numbers are far too high. Like their international counterparts, many American families can not afford to have an able bodied member of the family sit out of the workforce regardless of their age. We all know that poverty in the United States is a major problem and I call on my colleagues to remember the indirect problems caused by it, such as child labor.
The recent Hague Global Conference Against Child Labour set a goal of completely eliminating the Worst Forms of Child Labor by 2016. Madam Speaker, I believe that the United States should display the same dedicated and unwavering leadership that was displayed at the 1999 ILO Conference Against Child Labor. If we are successful in eliminating child labor and unfair labor practices around the world, we will ensure that children, regardless of where they are born, are able to be just that, children.
____________________
