Donald M. Payne: “I rise in my opposition to H.R. the Workforce Investment Act. Our Nation is facing the worst unemployment since the…”

“I rise in my opposition to H.R. the Workforce Investment Act. Our Nation is facing the worst unemployment since the Great Depression. The 6 percent unemployment rate that was announced the beginning of the month equals to nearly nine million American out of work. 2.7 million private-sector jobs have vanished since the Administration took office a little over 2 years ago. Over the last 3 months alone, the economy has shed 538,000 private-sector jobs. What is the Majority's solution? To severely undermine the very Act that is designed to create opportunities for our unemployed workers. The other side of the aisle uses words such as efficiency, steam- lining, reforms and improvements in this bill. If this bill becomes law in its present form, efficiency will result in more lost jobs, streamlining will result in fewer resources for workers, and reforms and improvements will result in privatization. Congress has traditionally responded to the employment, training and education needs of workers by constructing bipartisan legislation to provide unemployment compensation and strengthen the job training system when needed. Instead, the bill we have on the floor today falls short of securing needed training and employment programs and fails to assist our Nation's unemployed and disadvantaged workers.”