On the recordSeptember 21, 2011
the Senate is in consideration of trade policy this week with an extension of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Program. TAA is the main way we help American workers cope with the negative effects of our globalized economy. It is a crucial program in both good times and bad, and it must be renewed. TAA helps workers who have lost jobs through no fault of their own, but rather because of increased competition from imports or because of offshoring. TAA provides workers with critical income support, job training, job search and relocation assistance, and assistance with health insurance premiums. TAA relieves some of the hardship these workers face--helping them get back on their feet and back into jobs. Trade adjustment assistance is designed to help these workers with unique needs. Workers who qualify for TAA are mostly older workers-- more than half are over age 45--and they often have a hard time getting back into the workforce. Unfortunately, we have all heard many sad stories about workers in their fifties or sixties spending years looking for new work. Many have been at their jobs for decades. They often do not have education beyond high school. For these workers especially, the job training and other services offered by TAA are a way for workers to gain new skills and enter into new and growing industries or occupations. We have watched the middle class struggle over the last several decades.…
