Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 108 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 108 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 150 WASHINGTON, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2004 No. 17 Senate The Senate met at 9:30 a.m. and was morning business for up to 1 hour, with 5.6 percent. That is the fastest 7-month called to order by the President pro the first 30 minutes under the control decline in over a decade. In fact, unem- tempore (Mr. STEVENS). of the minority leader or his designee ployment is now lower than it was, on and the second 30 minutes under the average, during the 1970s, during the PRAYER control of the majority leader or his 1980s, or the 1990s. It is still too high The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- designee. and we will continue to work aggres- fered the following prayer: Following morning business, the Sen- sively to lower that unemployment Let us pray. ate will resume consideration of S. rate. However, with the fastest 7- Almighty God, who with Your grace 1072, the highway bill. It is my expecta- month decline in a decade, the trends can use misfortune or prosperity to tion that following the final remarks of are moving in the right direction. bless us, thank You for Your loving several Senators, Chairman INHOFE will The Council of Economic Advisers purposes that crown our years with move to table the Warner amendment has other good news. On Monday, the goodness. on seatbelts. Therefore, Senators Council released the latest economic Thank You, also, for disasters avert- should expect the first vote to occur report of the President. They antici- ed and advancements made. prior to noon today. pate the economy will create millions Help us to see, with faith’s eyes, each of new payroll jobs by the end of the blessing that comes disguised as adver- As a reminder, two cloture motions were filed yesterday in relation to the year. They also emphasize that Amer- sity and every temptation that hides ica is on a path to higher sustained beneath the mask of prosperity. highway bill. Those cloture votes are scheduled to occur tomorrow. I also re- output for years to come. Let Your love reach others through A survey released in January by the mind all Senators that under cloture us, as we seek to be Your ambassadors U.S. Institute for Supply Management rules, all first-degree amendments in a hurting world. found, for December, new orders must be filed by 1 p.m. today. Bless our Senators. May they grow to booked by industry increased at their fear, honor, love and serve You in all If cloture is invoked on the sub- best rate in 50 years. The bottom line ways. Be their protector and teach stitute to the highway bill on Thurs- is the economy is growing, America is them Your paths. May their plans pros- day, we will remain on that until dis- moving in the right direction. Contrary per as they stay within the circle of posed of. Members may have germane to its critics, President Bush’s tax cuts Your will. and timely filed amendments consid- are working. Help each of us to choose between ered but the Senate will act on this By passing the tax cuts, we were able faith and fear, courage and cynicism, measure this week. Members may use to reduce the unemployment rate by integrity and dishonesty, that we some postcloture debate. However, we nearly 1 extra percentage point. We would choose the better way. will remain and complete action on have increased the number of jobs We pray this in Your loving Name. this measure before the weekend. available by as much as 2 million. And Amen. f we have increased real GDP by as much f ECONOMIC GOOD NEWS as 3 percent. But there is still much to PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE be done. Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I will take As we consider these positive num- The PRESIDENT pro tempore led the a moment to comment on the eco- bers, we must also work to enact poli- Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: nomic good news that does continue to cies that help every American who I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the roll in. After weeks of positive indica- needs a job to find a job. We must use United States of America, and to the Repub- tors, the latest economic reports show the tools at our disposal to create the lic for which it stands, one nation under God, that the economy is steadily expand- indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. conditions which lead to job growth. ing. Specifically, new jobs are coming That is one reason passing this high- f online and unemployment continues to way bill is so crucial. RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY fall. According to the latest payroll Every $1 billion we invest in trans- LEADER survey, 112,000 new jobs were created in portation infrastructure generates The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The January, the largest monthly increase more than $2 billion in economic activ- majority leader is recognized. since December of the year 2000. Fully ity. It also creates an additional 47,500 f 366,000 new jobs were added over the new jobs. Our roads, our ports, and our last 5 months. railroads are vital to America’s eco- SCHEDULE The national unemployment rate nomic success. Indeed, it is estimated Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, this morn- continues to decline. In general, the that the highway bill will add a whop- ing the Senate will conduct a period of unemployment rate reached a level of ping 2 million jobs to the economy. ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S957 . VerDate Mar 15 2010 21:53 Jan 29, 2014 Jkt 081600 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\2004SENATE\S11FE4.REC S11FE4 mmaher on DSKCGSP4G1 with SOCIALSECURITY S958 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 11, 2004 That is 2 million reasons to pass this tion in Bellevue, WA. She was one of Bush administration tells us that ex- bill this week. about 20 software testers at porting American jobs is actually good Today and Thursday, Federal Re- Watchmark. for the economy. serve Chairman Alan Greenspan is One Friday last April, Myra came to Shipping good jobs overseas may scheduled to deliver his monetary re- work. She and other software testers boost the quarterly earnings of some port to the Congress. Chairman Green- were called into a meeting. They were companies. It may make some CEOs span has expressed confidence that the told that they were being replaced by look smart and make some quick profit economy will continue to grow and to workers in India, that their jobs would for some investors. But how can it be grow more jobs. While he does his im- be gone as they finished training their good for the economy to export Amer- portant work at the Fed, we must con- replacements, and that if they refused ica’s best jobs? How can it be good for tinue to do our work in this Chamber to train the new workers they would be the economy to offshore the jobs that to bolster the economy and help create ineligible for severance pay, unemploy- support middle-class families and sus- jobs. Lowering health costs, reducing ment insurance, or health insurance tain strong communities? How can ex- the downward drag of frivolous law- through COBRA. porting jobs create opportunities for suits, ensuring affordable energy, cut- Then they were told that the new Americans? ting redtape, and opening new markets, workers were flying in over the week- It is not just the jobs that get all of these progrowth policies will help end and would be there on Monday. outsourced. When American companies keep America moving forward. Most of her coworkers just had to train ship jobs offshore, they also send tax I yield the floor. one new person. Because Myra returns, medical records, credit card f Bronstein was working on the highest numbers, financial statements, and all priority projects, she actually had to kinds of other sensitive and confiden- RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY train two replacements. The whole tial consumer information. LEADER while she was trying frantically to fig- America has lost 2.6 million jobs on The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The ure out where she was going to find a this administration’s watch. That is Democratic leader is recognized. new job in the midst of the ‘‘dot-com’’ more jobs than the last 11 administra- f bust and a jobless recovery. tions put together. Nine million Ameri- Myra Bronstein is not alone. Accord- EXPORTING U.S. JOBS cans are now out of work. Long-term ing to a new national survey that is unemployment is at a 20-year high. Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, 2 days just being released today, nearly one in Eighty-thousand workers are ex- ago President Bush sent to Congress four information technology workers hausting their unemployment benefits his annual report on the State of said his or her company has offshored every week because Republican leaders America’s economy. Contained in that jobs. Incredibly, almost one in five re- refuse to support extending the Federal report is a statement that was quite re- ported they themselves had lost a job emergency unemployment benefits. markable. After presiding over the loss after training a foreign worker. Nine- The Economic Policy Institute re- of 2.6 million jobs, after claiming for 3 ty-three percent—nearly all—expressed cently found that in 48 States jobs are years that stopping the job hemorrhage concerns about the impact of shifting from higher paying to lower was one of their top priorities, the offshoring jobs on the IT industry and paying industries.