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| Trade Adjustment Assistance Reform Act | |
|---|---|
| Name | Trade Adjustment Assistance Reform Act |
| Enacted by | United States Congress |
| Enacted date | 2011 |
| Signed by | Barack Obama |
| Effective date | 2011 |
| Related legislation | Trade Act of 1974, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Trade Adjustment Assistance Extension Act of 2011, Tariff Act of 1930 |
| Summary | Reform of Trade Adjustment Assistance programs for workers affected by international trade and offshoring |
Trade Adjustment Assistance Reform Act.
The Trade Adjustment Assistance Reform Act restructured federal assistance for workers displaced by international trade, modifying programs administered under the Trade Act of 1974 and linked measures passed by the United States Congress during the Great Recession. The measure was enacted into law during the administration of Barack Obama and intersected with debates involving legislators such as Max Baucus, Orrin Hatch, Patty Murray, and Saxby Chambliss. The reform shaped interactions among agencies including the United States Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, and state workforce agencies while influencing stakeholders like the AFL–CIO, Business Roundtable, and National Association of Manufacturers.
The roots trace to the Trade Act of 1974 and follow-on measures like the Trade Adjustment Assistance Extension Act of 2011, with policy debates tied to episodes such as the 2008 financial crisis and legislative vehicles like the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Lawmakers from Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina pressed for revisions as manufacturing losses associated with China and Mexico trade attracted attention from committees including the United States Senate Committee on Finance and the House Committee on Ways and Means. Congressional interactions involved figures such as Harry Reid and John Boehner, and hearings featured testimonies from economists at institutions like Brookings Institution, Heritage Foundation, Economic Policy Institute, and American Enterprise Institute. Trade disputes before bodies like the World Trade Organization and rulings from the United States Court of International Trade provided context for shifts in policy emphasis toward retraining and wage insurance.
Key provisions amended certification processes under the Trade Act of 1974 and adjusted benefits, training, and income support delivered by the Employment and Training Administration and state agencies. The Act altered criteria used by petitioning entities such as labor unions United Auto Workers and trade associations to secure certifications, and affected programs like reemployment services, tuition assistance administered via community partners including Community College System of New Hampshire, Ivy Tech Community College, and City Colleges of Chicago. It introduced modifications comparable to proposals from policy reports by Institute for Women's Policy Research and Pew Charitable Trusts, and created mechanisms to coordinate with programs under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.
Eligibility rules were revised for workers from sectors represented by organizations like the United Steelworkers, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, and employers including firms based in Detroit, Cleveland, Charlotte, and Houston. Benefit structures incorporated elements resembling wage insurance pilots previously tested by Department of Labor partners and academics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of Chicago. The statute specified duration and amount of benefits, training vouchers, and job search allowances, aligning with standards used by state workforce boards such as those in California Employment Development Department, New York State Department of Labor, and Texas Workforce Commission.
Administration relied on collaboration among the United States Department of Labor, state workforce agencies, and local providers like Goodwill Industries International, The Salvation Army, and community colleges. Implementation required rulemaking processes involving career counselors certified under models from National Association of Workforce Boards and evaluation frameworks from Mathematica Policy Research and RAND Corporation. Oversight came from congressional offices including those of Senator Sherrod Brown and Representative Sander Levin, while GAO and Congressional Budget Office analyses informed budgetary execution. Interagency coordination included linkages to the Small Business Administration and trade monitoring by the United States International Trade Commission.
Evaluations published by researchers affiliated with Brookings Institution, Urban Institute, Economic Policy Institute, National Bureau of Economic Research, and universities such as University of Michigan and Stanford University assessed outcomes in reemployment rates, earnings replacement, and sectoral mobility. Analyses compared results across manufacturing hubs in Youngstown, Flint, Michigan, Toledo, Ohio, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Studies noted variation in performance tied to local labor markets, coordination with employers like Boeing and General Motors, and the presence of training providers such as Coursera partner institutions and trade schools accredited by Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
Critics from think tanks including Heritage Foundation and voices from industries represented by Chamber of Commerce argued about cost-effectiveness, while labor advocates in AFL–CIO chapters emphasized adequacy of benefits. Controversies involved disputes over certifications and appeals heard by administrative law judges in the United States Department of Labor adjudication system, and reports by Government Accountability Office highlighted issues with program integrity and implementation. Debates invoked comparisons to European retraining models in Germany and Sweden, and raised questions about trade policy coordination with agreements like North American Free Trade Agreement and negotiations involving Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Subsequent adjustments appeared in bills considered by the 112th United States Congress and later omnibus packages, intersecting with legislation such as the Trade Adjustment Assistance Extension Act of 2011 and provisions within appropriations acts shepherded by appropriators like Dave Camp and Nita Lowey. Legislative proposals from members including Sherrod Brown, Tom Reed, and Chris Van Hollen sought further refinements. Judicial and administrative developments continued to involve the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and oversight by the Office of Management and Budget.