Bob Dole: “I rise in favor of the Graham amendment to S. 14, the omnibus Energy bill. My State like so many others, is going…”

“I rise in favor of the Graham amendment to S. 14, the omnibus Energy bill. My State like so many others, is going through a painful economic transition. We have lost tens of thousands of jobs in textiles and the furniture industry, family farms are going out of business, and many of these traditional manufacturing jobs have been in rural areas, where there are fewer jobs and residents are already struggling to make ends meet. In 1999, North Carolina had the 12th lowest unemployment rate in the United States. By December 2001, the State had fallen to 46th--from 12th to 46th. That same year, according to the Rural Center, North Carolina companies announced 63,222 layoffs. Our State lost more manufacturing jobs between 1997 and the year 2000 than any State except New York. Entire communities have been uprooted by this crisis. According to the Employment Security Commission of North Carolina, the jobless rate rose from 6 percent in March to 6.4 percent just one month later. So you can see, Mr. President, North Carolina is hurting. But one area that remains strong is tourism--one of the State's largest industries. Each year, travelers venture into our State to enjoy the mountains of Asheville, the Southern-city charm of Charlotte, the beaches of the Outer Banks, and many other State treasures. Last year, there were 44.4 million visitors to North Carolina, ranking it the sixth most popular destination behind California, Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania and New York.”