Congressman Patrick McHenry (R-NC-10) today issued the following statement following his vote to pass the Trade and Globalization Assistance Act of 2007 (HR 3920), which reauthorizes and expands the Department of Labor’s Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program.

“TAA is a critically important program for Western North Carolina,” said Congressman McHenry.  “North Carolina has more TAA certified workers than any other state in the nation, and this year 35 percent of all TAA petitions in North Carolina have come from Tenth District counties.”

“Our region has been hit hard by the effects of bad trade deals, and making sure our workers have the tools, training, and resources they need to transition to new jobs is one of my top priorities.”

“This is not a perfect bill.  There are some provisions that should be removed and others that should be included – like automatic eligibility for dislocated textile and apparel workers.  But on the whole, the pros outweigh the cons, and I’m proud to honor my commitment to the Tenth District by voting for this bipartisan bill.”

According to the North Carolina Employment Security Commission, approximately 23 percent of unemployment in the Tenth District is the result of trade-affected job losses.

Since 1962, the TAA program has provided assistance and training to workers whose jobs have been lost because of factors attributable to global trade.  This legislation extends TAA through 2012, while expanding and reforming some components of the program.

The bill doubles the current training funding cap from $220 million to $440 million and increases it to $660 million by 2010.  Under current law, workers are eligible for program benefits for a maximum of 104 weeks. This legislation increases that to a maximum of 130 weeks, giving workers greater flexibility to pursue more and better training options.

Healthcare coverage for eligible workers will also be improved by provisions that minimize gaps in coverage and assure access to insurance policies that better meet the needs of workers and their families.  Furthermore, COBRA eligibility is expanded substantially for TAA certified workers who are over 55 or have been with their employer for ten years

Additionally, HR 3920 includes a package of tax incentives to encourage redevelopment in areas heavily affected by manufacturing job losses.  By authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to designate a group of Manufacturing Redevelopment Zones, this legislation will make those hard-hit areas eligible for Work Opportunity Tax Credit classification and tax-exempt bond financing for economic development and infrastructure improvement.

HR 3920 passed in the House today by a vote of 264 to 157.

Congressman McHenry is also a co-sponsor of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Reform Act (HR 1729) authored by Rep. Robin Hayes (R-NC-8).  Several provisions of this legislation were included in HR 3920.