Back to Work Incentive Act of 2003

BACK TO WORK INCENTIVE ACT OF 2003 -- (Extensions of Remarks - June 14, 2004)

SPEECH OF
HON. BETTY McCOLLUM
OF MINNESOTA
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
THURSDAY, JUNE 3, 2004

Ms. MCCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to today's ill-conceived bill.

Today, we should be creating jobs to replace the more than 2 million that have been lost the last three years. 38,000 private sector jobs and 43,000 manufacturing jobs have been lost in Minnesota alone since January 2001. This bill does nothing to replace them.

We should be investing in our Nation's existing workforce training infrastructure. Last year, the Dakota County Workforce Council in my district helped over 1,000 dislocated workers and their resource rooms served nearly 40,000 individuals. Even more people could have received job training assistance with adequate funding for our One-Stops.

Instead, the Republican leadership's bill gives unemployed workers a voucher-up to $3,000--instead of the job training they need and deserve.

This bill ignores the real problems facing our working families.

I have heard from Minnesota's workforce professionals who are worried that without new money, job training funds will be diverted under this plan, reducing funding for proven, successful job training programs offered by workforce training centers in my district.

Congress needs to help the unemployed now, not start new, unproven programs.

We should be extending unemployment benefits for the 1.5 million workers who have exhausted their current benefits, including over 26,000 Minnesotans who lost their benefits because Congress failed to act in December.

Workers in my district aren't asking for new employment vouchers. They are asking for jobs.

We are passing a bill that creates no new jobs while limiting worker access to existing training services. These vouchers undermine benefits for the long-term unemployed who can already access job training services.

I urge my colleagues to vote no.