Washington, D.C. - Ways and Means Ranking Member Sander Levin (D-MI), in a speech on the House floor late Thursday, criticized Republicans for allowing critical Trade Adjustment Assistance benefits to expire tomorrow. Republicans are poised to adjourn today without action on legislation to extend the program, leaving tens of thousands of working Americans ineligible for retraining and other assistance. The TAA program helps Americans who have lost their jobs due to increased imports.
Rep. Levin made the following statement on the floor late Thursday evening:
LINK TO SPEECH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoN7DHATrnA
“This is about oversight, and what the Majority is doing is losing sight of the needs of tens of thousands of workers in this country. What they are doing is overlooking the needs of the workers of this country.
“Our committee has jurisdiction over trade adjustment and what's happened this week regarding Trade Adjustment Assistance is really incomprehensible and I think disgraceful. This Congress is going to leave town tomorrow. On Saturday the extension of TAA expires -- the 2009 extension. And what's going to happen: tens of thousands of people will be laid off because of trade will no longer be able to be certified. Tens of thousands. They will be out of luck when they hit bad luck through no fault of their own.
“We've received all kinds of communications from people in my state and I'm sure there are people like this in every single state.
“We heard from a machinist, laid off, qualified for TAA, who is now pursuing a career as a technician. He's in a program that goes on for a few years. Before TAA was overhauled in 2009, states could not have approved training of that length, nor have approved the prerequisite training.
“We heard of another worker, a service worker in the state of Michigan, laid off, qualified for TAA and is now pursuing an associate’s degree. She's planning to complete her program in June of 2012. Before the TAA reforms of 2009, service workers were not even eligible for TAA.
“We also know of another person who was laid off, a die helper, who is qualified for TAA to continue training on a part-time basis. It was only because of the extensions of 2009 -- the changes, the improvements -- that this person could have been in that training.
“Then another worker in Michigan, and there are workers throughout the country like this, who learned that she would be laid off, petitioned for TAA and began pursuing an MA degree before she actually lost her job.
“There are thousands of people who are going to be in this position and because the Majority in this House has failed to act, there are going to be tens of thousands of people who will have no place to turn in terms of training. Since the 2009 improvements, about 170,000 people have been able to receive training -- 170,000.
“And now, beginning Monday, tens of thousands will not be able to be certified for help. Now, this isn't only in the state of Michigan. It's not only in the state of Ohio. It's not only in the state of Indiana. It's not only in Pennsylvania. This is true throughout the country -- true throughout the country. And essentially the Majority here is leaving, turning their backs on the people of this country.
“So, what happened this week was the following. A few groups outside of this institution decided they did not want to support the 2009 expansion of benefits. And a group within this House, the Republican Study Committee, issues a document urging Republicans not to support the extension.
“There are many or some Republicans in this House who are ready to support it. But they pull back the bill. The document from the Study Committee has this as one of the reasons why we should not step up to the plate: They said, under TAA programs, the government picks winners and losers because TAA favorably discriminates towards workers who lost their jobs due to trade. Well, picking winners and losers, what TAA does is to fill in gaps that were not filled in previously and often gaps that were increased because of the inaction of the now Majority of this House.
“And talking about winners and losers, the losers are going to be the unemployed people of this country, unemployed through no fault of their own, unemployed looking for work who will not be able to be certified for TAA.
“This is a disgrace. And there are some people who will continue to be eligible for TAA who are going to have to now pay more for their health care if they can afford it. When we put this together a few years ago, this is what Senator Grassley said about the reforms, ‘Today's achievement is the result of the dedication, hard work and commitment of many individuals. It is the culmination of years of effort and I am confident that the result will serve to benefit American workers in Iowa and across the united states for years to come.’
“The failure of the Republicans to bring this bill to the floor this week means that what Senator Grassley said will serve to benefit American workers in Iowa and across the United States for years to come. That's going to end on Saturday. On Saturday. On Monday, because Saturday it's a weekend, people who are laid off because of trade are going to hit a wall. A wall.
“So we are in favor of oversight. We made that clear earlier. We are also sure we should not be short-sighted about the needs of productive people who want to work and cannot find a job. The person speaking on behalf of the Republicans, my distinguished colleague on the Ways and Means Committee, talked about those who are out of work through no fault of their own. You mentioned nine million? There is a record number of people in this country who have been unemployed for a longer period of time than has been true in the past. And now all they ask for, unemployment comp in many cases, they're looking for work, and a chance to be retrained. A chance to be retrained. On Monday, for thousands, that chance will be gone. That should not have happened."
