Archived News Release Caution: Information may be out of date.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Office of Public Affairs
OPA Press Release: Statement by Secretary of
Labor Alexis M. Herman on the Congressional Budget Proposals
[03/29/1999]
We need to make sure all Americans are prepared for the opportunities of the 21st Century, but the majority budget proposal takes us in the wrong direction.
It hurts dislocated workers by cutting assistance by $171 million below FY 1999. Overall, training, job search assistance, and support services would be denied to about 90,200 dislocated workers. Because the cuts increase each year, in FY 2004, the majority plan would deny services to over 205,000 dislocated workers.
The majority plan also harms young people by eliminating about 73,100 training and summer job opportunities for low-income youth. In FY 2004, about 166,000 low-income youth would be denied training and summer job opportunities.
The proposed cuts also could terminate Jobs Corps' planned 4-center expansion and force Job Corps to close five or six other centers in 2000. This could eliminate about 5,000 residential training slots for youths from extremely disadvantaged communities in 2000. In 2004, this could result in over 11,000 students being denied the opportunity to participate in Job Corps.
Our economy is strong. Our commitment to the workers of today and tomorrow should be, too.
We need to work together to build on our success. This proposal falls far short and America's working families deserve far better.
Archived News Release Caution: Information may be out of date.
|