Pulaski County Democratic Committee Website Blog

Legislation to Offer Unique Training for Virginia’s Rural Police Force

Washington, DC—Senator Jim Webb of Virginia today commended the passage of legislation that provides cutting-edge training for law enforcement officers in rural communities. Offered as an amendment to the 9/11 Commission Homeland Security Legislation, today’s 82-1 vote creates a Rural Policing Institute (RPI) within the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC).

“The post-9/11 environment has increased demands placed on our law enforcement agencies,” said Senator Webb. “In addition, our rural communities are facing new challenges, particularly with the spread of methamphetamines.”

The Rural Policing Institute will offer comprehensive training programs designed to address the needs of rural law enforcement agencies, including combating methamphetamine addiction and distribution, domestic violence and law enforcement response related to school shootings.

“We count on our more than 17,000 local law enforcement officials to serve as the Commonwealth’s first responders, but our officers in rural Virginia communities face unique challenges. This Rural Policing program will ensure that they receive the training that they need to address such an array of issues.

“In addition to this amendment today, I will continue to work with my Senate colleagues to ensure the full implementation of the 9/11 Commission’s recommendations to increase the security of our nation,” said Webb.

The Senate is scheduled to pass the 9/11 Commission homeland security bill next week.

U.S. Representative Rick Boucher announced today that approximately 260 workers who will lose their jobs as a result of the April closure of the Pulaski Furniture manufacturing plant in Pulaski, Virginia will be eligible to receive federal Trade Readjustment Assistance, commonly known as “TRA,” from the U.S. Department of Labor.  The benefits will assist all affected workers with health care premium payments and those who qualify with job retraining.  Workers previously affected by layoffs at Pulaski Furniture also remain eligible for federal benefits under the petition previously approved by Department of Labor.     

The displaced workers will also be eligible for healthcare benefits through the Health Care Tax Credit which will provide laid off workers with 65 percent of the cost of health insurance premiums.  The remaining 35 percent of premium cost will be paid by the employees.     

The U.S. Department of Labor will provide job outreach services, career counseling, job search and job development assistance, classroom training (including adult basic education and GED completion) to those workers affected by the plant closure.  Other services which can be provided under Trade Readjustment Assistance include on-the-job training and transportation assistance.  In addition, Alternative Trade Act Assistance (ATAA) will be provided to those workers who qualify.      

“This federal assistance is of critical importance to the workers who have been affected by the closure of the Pulaski plant,” Boucher said. “These workers deserve our help, and some of the most important and meaningful services we can offer relate to training individuals for new jobs and assisting them in maintaining health insurance coverage for themselves and their families.”    

Some employees may also be eligible to receive Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance. Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance (ATAA) is a federal benefit program for workers over the age of 50 years who qualify for TRA benefits.  In addition to the traditional TRA benefits, workers who qualify under the ATAA program are eligible for a federal subsidy of up to $10,000 over a two-year period if a worker regains employment within 26 weeks of being dislocated from Pulaski Furnitiure and if the new salary is less than $50,000 and less than his or her former salary.  The provision of this federal assistance is an important step in assuring that the displaced workers have the training, health care premium payments and other benefits needed to find new employment,” Boucher said.       

Frequently, workers who lose their jobs find that they do not possess the skills necessary to compete effectively for employment in another field.   The use of federal funds to provide the new skills and job placement services are wise investments which strengthen both the earning potential of the region’s residents and the base of the regional economy.      

Boucher explained that the retraining and health care premium funding would be furnished by the U.S. Department of Labor under the Trade Adjustment Assistance Program, which provides assistance for workers who have lost their jobs due to foreign imports or plant relocations outside the United States.  In addition to job retraining benefits, the program also provides up to 52 weeks of additional unemployment insurance benefits beyond the normal 26 weeks available to all workers who lose jobs.  The additional assistance enables unemployed workers to continue searching for work or to continue participation in training programs.       

Boucher said he is pleased that the Department of Labor is able to assist the displaced Pulaski Furniture employees.  “I want to commend the Department of Labor for providing the funding necessary for job training and health insurance assistance to these deserving people,” he said.      

Legislation Follows Four Day Visit to Southwest Virginia

Washington, DC - Senator Jim Webb today announced that he is co-sponsoring a research bill that seeks to accelerate the safe and effective development of geological carbon sequestration, which is one of the most promising new technologies for curbing carbon dioxide emissions.

The “National Carbon Dioxide Storage Capacity Assessment Act of 2007″ (S.731) would authorize the U.S. Geological Survey, in coordination with the Department of Energy and the EPA, to conduct a comprehensive assessment of carbon dioxide storage capacity. Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO) is the chief sponsor of the bill.

“Generations of Virginians know the value of coal’s role as a domestic energy source,” said Senator Webb. “This legislation is an important step to develop technologies that allow us to use fossil fuels in a more efficient and environmentally-sound manner.”

Last week, Senator Webb visited with the Eastern Coal Council in Abingdon. His meeting included a diverse set of representatives from the coal industry, area universities, local technology companies and the environmental community.

“Senator Webb showed a deep appreciation for understanding the concepts before proceeding to make legislative decisions affecting the coal industry,” said Barbara Altizer, Executive Director of the Eastern Coal Council. “The Coal Council appreciated the Senator’s visit to the coalfields to learn more about today’s clean coal technology, carbon sequestration and energy education, among other issues. The Council is pleased to see Senator Webb’s interest in coal and research for coal. Coal can play a key role in helping the United States achieve energy independence.”

The meeting with the Coal Council was one of several stops during the Senator’s four-day trip to Southwest Virginia. Webb also toured the Laurel Mountain Deep Mine in Russell County to witness the mining process first-hand. He also visited the CGI offices in Lebanon, the General Dynamics Armament & Technical Products Plant in Marion, and the Radford Army Ammunition Plant in Radford.

- - -

The “National Carbon Dioxide storage Capacity Assessment Act of 2007″ (S.731) authorizes the federal government to spend up to $20 million on the inventory process.

The bill has two primary components:

* Establishment of a methodology. Over the course of the first 9 months, the USGS will design a formal methodology for geological capacity assessment. It will address questions of distribution (extent), rate (injectivity), total volume (capacity), additional oil and gas recovery, and a ranking of risk. The methodology will be reviewed by a panel of experts, available for public comment, and formally published 15 months after the date of enactment.

* Execution of the national assessment. Upon enactment of the legislation, the USGS will begin to gather and analyze data from all 50 states and all sedimentary basins to assess the CO2 storage potential. The assessment should produce maps and formal quantitative estimates of the terms described in the methodology. In addition, a database of the work inputs and components will be published for public use. The assessment will be completed and published within two years of the publication of the formal assessment methodology.

In addition to Senators Webb and Salazar, Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) serves as an original co-sponsor of the legislation. Rep. Bart Gordon (D-TN), Chairman of the Committee on Science and Technology, introduced a companion bill this week in the House of Representatives.

Text of the Senate version of the carbon sequestration bill can be viewed at: http://salazar.senate.gov/images/pdf/070301env.pdf.

Editor’s Note: For photos of the Senator’s trip to Southwest, Virginia, visit: http://webb.senate.gov/newsroom/photo_gallery.cfm