Max Baucus: “This amendment is the right thing to do. And now is the right time to do it. The JOBS bill is about creating jobs and…”

“This amendment is the right thing to do. And now is the right time to do it. The JOBS bill is about creating jobs and about keeping existing jobs in America. But we all know that--no matter how strong we make this JOBS bill--some workers may still see their jobs move overseas. Since 1962, trade adjustment assistance--what we call ``TAA''--has provided retraining, income support, and other benefits so that workers who lose their jobs due to trade can make a new start. The rationale for TAA is simple. When our government pursues trade liberalization, we create benefits for the economy as a whole. But there is always some dislocation from trade. As President Kennedy said, ``those injured by . . . trade competition should not be required to bear the full brunt of the impact.'' ``There is an obligation,'' he said, for the federal government ``to render assistance to those who suffer as a result of national trade policy.'' We meet that obligation through TAA.”