Richard Gephardt: “as we work to address the problems affecting our airlines, we must not forget the men and women who have lost their jobs…”

“as we work to address the problems affecting our airlines, we must not forget the men and women who have lost their jobs as a consequence of the tragic events of September 11. These workers are without income, without health care coverage for themselves and their families, and without a clear path right now to future employment opportunities. I had hoped that we would be able to include something in this package to meet the needs of these American workers and their families. In my view, it is not right, and it is not fair, for these workers and their families to be denied these fundamental necessities after having lost their jobs through no fault of their own because of this national disaster. Working families are the backbone of our economy and our greatness as a Nation. I would hope that we would not ignore their plight now. I would ask the Speaker, who has worked hard with us to produce this legislation, if he could commit to me to address this problem in the coming weeks.”