On the recordSeptember 21, 2011
this amendment is very simple. It eliminates one small piece of the TAA Program called TAA for Firms. Now, why would I do this? Strictly for bipartisan reasons, to demonstrate my agreement with President Obama, who also supports the repeal of this particular piece of the TAA. In his budget submission of this year, it specifically recommended the elimination of this program. It is only $16 million a year, but it is inefficient. As the President's budget pointed out, it does not achieve its objectives as well as other programs do. Measured against other programs, the firms that are supposedly helped actually fail at a bigger rate than other firms that are not in the program. As a result, I decided I would support one of the elements of the President's budget: to eliminate this TAA for Firms Program. Friends, if we are serious about any kind of reform for TAA, surely we can agree upon a clearly bipartisan proposal of the President of the United States, which is supported by Republicans in the Senate. I ask for your support for this amendment. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Ohio is recognized.
