Sánchez offers amendment to help workers displaced by Trump’s chaotic trade policies
WASHINGTON – During the markup of the Republican tax bill, Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Ranking Member Linda T. Sánchez (D-Calif.) introduced an amendment to provide Trade Adjustment Assistance to workers and small businesses displaced by trade. The Republican-led committee blocked the amendment in a 19–24 party-line vote
Video of her statement introducing the amendment is available HERE and the text follows:
“This tax bill is a desperate attempt from Republicans to kowtow to corporations, while they turn their backs on millions of hardworking Americans.
Prices on everyday goods are rising, retirees are watching their savings evaporate as markets swing wildly, farmers are losing access to key export markets, many small businesses are on the verge of closing their doors forever, and jobs are being lost.
It’s time to put an end to the economic damage. A tax bill that creates massive deficits and gives handouts to billionaires will not do that. We must use this opportunity to restore stability in our trade and economic policy before the damage is too far to reverse.
That’s why I am offering an amendment to renew Trade Adjustment Assistance and modernize the program, including by streamlining the eligibility criteria for farmers, workers, and businesses. This language comes from the COMPETES Act, which Congress passed on a bipartisan basis in 2022.
Under my amendment, displaced workers would be eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance through 2031. My amendment would also ensure port workers and workers in the trucking industry will be eligible to apply for TAA if they unfairly lost their jobs due to tariffs imposed by President Trump since January 20th of this year.
Since its inception, TAA has helped millions of trade-displaced workers attain the necessary skills, credentials, resources, and support they need in order to return to work. At least 192,000 workers have pending TAA petitions with the Department of Labor. That includes 17,240 new applicants since President Trump took office to March — a nearly 10 percent increase in less than two months.
Despite the fact that this data was updated monthly, no new data has been available since March 3rd, just after the Trump administration began to wreak havoc on our economy with the Canada and Mexico tariffs and the April 2nd global tariffs.
Wow. I wonder why? Could it be that the Trump administration is scared of Americans finding out the real cost of his chaotic trade policies?
Not only are prices going up, but Americans working in trade-related industries literally have their jobs on the line, including the thousands of port workers from Los Angeles and Long Beach that live in my district.
Every one container that arrives in the port supports four jobs in the Los Angeles economy. Yet, imports at the Port of Los Angeles are currently down by 35% from the same time last year. If this trend continues, empty shelves and layoffs will follow.
We also cannot forget the truck drivers who help transport essential goods across the country. These truck drivers will lose from declining truck volumes and higher operational costs.
We cannot abandon our workers. They need relief now.
Over 8,000 workers with pending TAA applications are in my Republican Ways and Means colleagues' districts:
- Chairman Smith currently has 1,272 workers with pending TAA applications.
- Representative Adrian Smith – 295 workers
- Representative Mike Kelly – 60 workers
- Representative Schweikert – 250 workers
- Representative LaHood – 1,097 workers
- Representative Estes – 528 workers
- Representative Miller – 35 workers
- Representative Murphy – 120 workers
- Representative Van Duyne – 1,382 workers
- Representative Feenstra – 197 workers
- Representative Carey – 387 workers
- Representative Miller – 125 workers
- Representative Yakym – 2,442 workers
All with pending trade adjustment claims. They cannot afford to be left in limbo any longer, waiting for Congress to renew Trade Adjustment Assistance.
I call on my Republican colleagues to support my amendment to renew TAA and offer some relief to their constituents who have unfairly lost their jobs due to this administration's stupid and irresponsible trade policies.”
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