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Politics : Those Damned Democrat's -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Cage Rattler who wrote (24)	5/17/2002 4:28:41 PM
From: Tadsamillionaire	Respond to of 1604

The wage insurance plan would help workers who are forced by trade to take lower-paying jobs by providing them half the difference between the wages of their old and new jobs. The workers, who must be at least 50, could receive up to $5,000 a year. Those who accept the subsidy would lose other trade-related retraining and health benefits. The two-year program would be capped at $50 million. "This is pre-socialistic," said Sen. Don Nickles (news, bio, voting record) of Oklahoma, the Senate's no. 2 Republican. "I'm embarrassed how bad this idea is." Sen. Judd Gregg (news, bio, voting record), R-N.H., author of an amendment to kill the program, envisioned a worker quitting his job to become an assistant golf pro and getting $5,000 a year from taxpayers to make up the difference in pay. "This is a brand new, major entitlement which will expand dramatically. It is not some benign little pilot program." But supporters said it would save the government money by moving people out of unemployment and expensive training programs. It "gives an incentive to displaced workers to find a job more quickly," said Sen. Max Baucus (news, bio, voting record), D-Mont., the lead sponsor of the trade package with Sen. Charles Grassley (news, bio, voting record), R-Iowa. Gregg's amendment was rejected 58-38. Heard throughout the debate was the warning that any changes in the compromise worked out on fast track and worker benefits could topple the entire bill. The House approved its version last December by a one-vote margin, with Democrats complaining that it fell short in protecting worker rights and the environment in future trade negotiations. Grassley said that while Gregg had some valid points, "I can't support an amendment that would upset the balance of the package." Baucus made a similar argument later in opposing an amendment by his fellow Democrat, Sen. Christopher Dodd (news, bio, voting record) of Connecticut, that would add language committing participants in future trade agreements to living up to International Labor Organization standards on child labor, forced labor, worker discrimination and the rights of association. That amendment was defeated 52-46. Baucus said the bill already makes labor and environmental matters top priorities for U.S. negotiators and "if we push a little further it could very well push us over the edge." Still pending were amendments to help retired steelworkers, ease the embargo on Cuba and ensure that foreign investors don't have unfair advantages in U.S. courts. White House press secretary Ari Fleischer (news - web sites) said Thursday that the steel amendment was "a troubling signal that the Senate is seeking to undermine the possibility of passage of free trade." The Senate hopes to finish the legislation by next week, sending it to a House-Senate conference to reconcile differences. The trade preference program for the four Andean nations expired last December; beginning Thursday, imports from those countries will be subject to significantly higher tariffs. Republicans have sought to split that portion from the trade package so that it can be passed quickly, but the Democratic leadership has refused. story.news.yahoo.com