On the recordSeptember 21, 2011
this country has an extremely high unemployment rate. We all know a lot of people are losing jobs and some are losing jobs on account of trade. The world has changed, even as recently as 2002. In 2002, the law said: OK. If a person loses a job on account of jobs going to a free-trade country, they are eligible for trade adjustment assistance, but it has to be a manufacturing job. That was changed in 2009 because the country has changed. There are a lot of countries with which we trade that are not FTA partners--China, India. It makes eminent sense, if someone loses a job on account of trade with any country, that person should be eligible for trade adjustment assistance and not just with FTA countries. Secondly, we expanded that to services. Eighty percent of the workers in our country are in the services sector, not the manufacturing sector. That addition was also provided for in 2009. For technical reasons also, if this amendment passes, it jeopardizes both TAA as well as FTA because everything has to be renegotiated. So I urge this amendment not be agreed to. The PRESIDING OFFICER. All time has expired. Mr. McCAIN. I ask for the yeas and nays. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second? There appears to be a sufficient second. The question is on agreeing to the amendment. The clerk will call the roll. The assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
