Below are the comments delivered this afternoon by Congressman McHenry in Lenoir, NC regarding the recently announced layoffs at Broyhill Industries, as well as other companies in the area.

"I received news of the latest Broyhill plant closing Wednesday morning. This is obviously a very difficult time for the folks whose jobs will be eliminated, as well as their families.

Dealing with layoffs is never easy, and we should remember that there has been an ongoing problem in
western North Carolina long before the Broyhill announcement. It is important that we do not forget about employees of other area companies who have lost their jobs and face the same problems faced by the victims of this latest closing.

There are some things I can do as a Member of Congress to help in this situation, and I’d like to tell you about those today.

First, I got a commitment from the U.S Department of Labor yesterday that they will expedite our request for Trade Adjustment Assistance. This is the first step to access federal money to help our workers. It will provide retraining money, reemployment services, assistance with job searches, and tax credits for health insurance.

Second, I’m sending part of my Congressional staff to Broyhill plants this week to meet with and answer questions from workers who are losing their jobs. We’ve already gotten dozens of calls – and that’s why we’re going to meet with them – face-to-face – to answer questions they need on the federal help they deserve.

Next, my Congressional staff and I will be working closely with the Caldwell Community College to insure that workers that want to improve their training and education will have that opportunity. In a competitive job market, our people need to have the best training possible – and our community colleges get the best results for our region.

Finally, I’ll be coordinating with the Caldwell County Commission and the Lenoir officials to make sure we’re getting results for people. As partners, we’re going to have a long-term plan of action to deal with this challenge – and a strategy to bring good paying jobs to our area.

I’m going to do my part of make sure we get help from our federal government.

This is a difficult time for everyone involved. We will do everything we can to make sure that workers get the assistance and benefits they need and deserve. This is a problem not just for those laid off, but for everyone in the community. Working together, I am confident we can overcome these setbacks and realize our area’s great potential for growth and opportunity."