Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi

Pelosi: 'We Must Do the Right Thing for America’s Aviation Workers'

April 8, 2003

 

Washington, D.C. -- House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi gave the following statement on the House floor this afternoon during debate on a motion by Congressman David Obey of Wisconsin to instruct a joint House-Senate conference committee on the fiscal year 2003 Supplemental Appropriations bill. The motion, which passed by a vote of 265 to 150, would instruct conferees to provide 26 weeks of additional temporary extended unemployment insurance for displaced aviation workers.

"Madame Speaker, today we have the opportunity to do the right thing for America’s aviation workers.

"Both the House and Senate versions of the Supplemental Appropriations bill include financial assistance for the airlines, as they should.

"Aviation is an essential cornerstone of the U.S. economy. Both the House and Senate bills focus primarily on mitigating for the cost of security provisions required by the federal government, as they should.

"But we cannot ignore the workers who form the backbone of the aviation industry. At least 150,000 workers in the aviation industry have lost their jobs after 9/11, including those who work for the airlines and related industries. Many of these workers exhausted their unemployment benefits months ago, but with the industry still contracting, new jobs are impossible to find.

"Thousands more airline workers have lost their jobs since the Iraq war began, and layoffs in the industry could reach 70,000. Concern about exposure to the deadly SARS disease in Asia is now reducing air travel from the United States to Asia even further.

"The Senate has included $275 million for extended unemployment compensation for aviation workers. The House should recede to the Senate position. It is the least, Madame Speaker, that we can do.

"I urge my colleagues to vote for relief for aviation workers, to support Mr. Obey’s wise motion to instruct conferees. Vote for the motion to instruct."


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