Porter bill offers job-seeking money

Benjamin Grove

Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2003 | 11:17 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Labor Secretary Elaine Chao hailed a bill introduced by Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev., that would give $3,000 in job-searching money to unemployed workers.

The money could help an estimated 1.2 million people and ultimately stimulate the economy, Chao told the House Education and Workforce Committee.

The money would be for job-seeking expenses only, such as transportation, child care, career counseling or computer training. As an incentive, workers could keep the remainder of the money if they find a job within 13 weeks.

The program, to be administered by the states, would use current unemployment programs, including counselors, to hold people accountable for spending the money on job-seeking activities. Job hunters would get the $3,000 in several chunks.

"This legislation will help to accelerate the re-employment of many of the citizens of Nevada and ultimately help the nation's unemployed make a quick return to work," Porter said.

The legislation has the strong endorsement of President Bush, but so far, no Democratic co-signers. Committee Democrats today criticized the bill, saying it does not go far enough to help the unemployed and won't stimulate economic growth.

The bill is designed to help people who are about to be unemployed or who lost their jobs within 90 days prior to the bill's enactment. Democrats said that won't help 8 million people unemployed now.

"How will these ($3,000) accounts help the 1 million workers who have already exhausted their federal extended unemployment benefits?" Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., asked.

Democrats also noted the bill's $3.6 billion cost was not included in President Bush's $2.2 trillion budget for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1. If Congress approves the bill this year, lawmakers would have to approve the additional expense or find places to cut.

Porter is planning a public field hearing on the bill at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in Las Vegas. The location has not been set.