ago on april 20, the obama administration, to their credit, added the current leader of that group to the terrorist list under executive order 13224, following u.n. recognition of him as an affiliated with al qaeda or the taliban. according to the treasury under secretary of financial intelligence quote, he commands a terror group that sought to see violence and fracture international unity at the 2000 olympic games in china, end of quote. etim's relationship with al qaeda has grown since it was invited to conduct training in afghanistan in the late 1990's. in 2005, abdul was admitted to al qaeda's shur council and he

was invited to come in. on november 16, 2008, a chinese citizen took -- was appointed by only as a leader of two organizations, al qaeda in china and islam and also confirmed by abdul sulemam. the detainees held at guantanamo bay are affiliated with the group. according to the detainees' sworn statement, many acknowledge they had trained at an etim training camp from june to november, 2001 and several confirm that the camp was run by abdul. . following the u.s. invasion of

afghanistan in 2001, it's clear that involvement between etim and taliban increased. the leader was hasan mossam who led his men to support taliban and fight alongside them against the u.s. and coalition forces. on october 2, 2003, hasan mossam was killed by a pakistani army raid in south waziristan area of pakistan. additionally in 2008 al qaeda in afghanistan publication titled, quote, martyrs in times of alienation, end of quote, identified 120 martyrs, including five members who trained in tora bora who fought with the taliban in afghanistan against u.s. troops. one is reported to have been killed fighting u.s. forces in

2001 and hasan mossam confirmed prior to his death in 2003 that e tim members trained and fought with forces in afghanistan. in addition to their designation as a designated terrorist organization, these detainees believe in the creation of a taliban-style islamic state in northwestern china and do not share american values of respect, tolerance and religious pluralism. the "l.a. times" recently reported that, quote, not long after being grant access to tv, some were watching a soccer game. when a woman with bare arms with was shown on tv, one grabbed the tfingts and threw it to the ground, end of quote. i'm no friend of the chinese government, i'm been critical

of the treatment of muslims, but we ought to have no tolerance for terrorism in any form. further violent aims of this nature do not know national boundaries. thousands of americans, including the president and high-ranking u.s. government officials and many american citizens, travel to the 2008 beijing olympics, a stated terrorist target for the etim. if their affiliation and recent behavior were not troubling enough, i'mal concerned about potential further radicalization of the eight years held with al qaeda members at guantanamo bay. without a declassified threat assessment, how can the american people know if they have not been further radicalized since their capture? how can we assist their potential threat once released into the u.s.? will they attack chinese

targets within the u.s.? provide intelligence to al qaeda abroad? or stage an attack on americans at the direction of terrorist groups. reports indicate that etim's philosophy has dramatically evolved as a result of their training and cooperation with al qaeda and the taliban over the last several years. according to terrorism expert rohan gunaratna, an expert on the etim, he said in the post-9/11 era, etim began to believe in the global jihad agenda today the group follows the philosophy of al qaeda and respects osama bin laden. such groups that believe in global jihad do not confine their targets to the terrorists they seek to control. the etim presented a threat to

the chinese as well as western targets worldwide. without detailed information about each detainee including a threat assessment, the american people cannot be expected to kohl toll rate trained terrorists being released into their community. that is not the transparency or the sound judgment eric holder promised to bring to the justice department when he appeared before the house commerce appropriations subcommittee last month. this administration of eric holder will not share this information with the congress or the american people, how can we be expected to accept assurances that the detainees they intend to reloose in the u.s. are not a threat? anyone who trains to kill civilians in tora bora, whose led leader is a member of al qaeda's council, does not share our most basic values of tolerance and diversity and may have been further radicalized other the last eight years is

most unequivocably a terrorist and should not be released in the united states. yet this congress and the american people are left in the dark about the administration's plans to release these detainees. the american people deserve to know and they have the right to know who the attorney general is asking to place into their communities. eric holder's failed attempt to release these detainees came in spite of objections from the f.b.i. and think department of homeland security who were overruled apparently eric holder and the white house. last month, f.b.i. director robert mueller told the house judiciary committee he was concerned that detainees from guantanamo could support terrorism or radicalize others, provide intelligence or financial support to terrorist net yorks -- networks or take part in terrorist attacks inside the united states. for eric holder to do this against the better judgment of the f.b.i. and the department

of homeland security and the bipartisan objection from this congress is unacceptable. this flies in the face of bipartisan congressional opposition to the release of trained terrorists into the u.s. including republican and democratic leadership in the house and senate. last month, the senate followed the house lead in removing funding for transferring detainees around demanding this administration come clean with the american people. about their intent. the attorney general expect this is congress to sit idly by after it announces it has released 17 detainees held at guantanamo bay into the united states. eric holder won't allow career f.b.i. agents to brief members on this issue. i've asked for briefings from career employees at the f.b.i., the c.i.a. and have been told by each agency that the attorney general will not allow them to meet with me. what is the attorney general hiding? let me be clear, these

detainees are trained terrorists caught in camps affiliated with al qaeda. those who would use troor are terrorists no matter their unintended target. i've consistently called on the administration to declassify and provide the american people with information regarding the capture, the detention, and threat assessment of each detainee they intend to release into the u.s. regardless of their intended targets of terror, the american people deserve to know whether they have been either further radicalized due to their exposure to al qaeda leaders such as khalidshake moment and see the assessment -- khalid chic mohammed and the assessment of the threat they pose today. what message does their release into the u.s. send to al qaeda and the rest of terrorist network. how can the government guarantee the released detainees won't stay in contact

with their al qaeda and provide them with intelligence from within the u.s.? if the attorney general cannot or will not answer these questions, he should not even consider releasing them into the united states. the administration has a moral obligation to share this administration with the american people. over the last month, both the house and senate stripped all funding from these transfers and inserted language into the fiscal year 2009 emergency supplemental bill that would require the administration to provide the american people with a clear plan before any action was taken. since march, i have written the president, the attorney general, the secretary of homeland security asking for answers to these and other questions and i still have not received a single response. i repeat, not a single response after two months of some of the most basic questions about the administration's plans. for weeks i asked the f.b.i. for briefings daily only to be told the attorney general would not allow them to meet with

members on these issues. although the president delivered a speech on may 21 at the national ar dives on the closing o-- archives on the closing of the detention center at guantanamo bay, we have had no more information about his plans to close guantanamo than we did before. we still do not have the answers on which detainees eric holder is planning to transfer to the united states, where they'll be tried, how the administration intends to protect the american people. the germans who had tentatively agreed to accept some detainees complained that the administration won't share enough information with them for an independent assessment of the detainees' security risk. according to "the washington post," quote, more trouble emerged when washington stipulated that the detainees would be barred from traveling to the united states. last week, the canadian government refused to accept the same detainees, citing serious security concerns. so as i close where i began,

congressional oversight is imperative. no moreso than in matters with profound national security implications. yet this congress and the american people remain in the dark about the administration's plans on this pressing issue. this is no time for vague assurances, this is no time to play fast and loose with critical information. this is no time for political games. the american deserve more. with that, madam speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back his time. under the speaker's announced policy of january 6, 2009, the gentlewoman from ohio, ms. fudge is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader. ms. fudge: thank you very much, madam speaker. madam speaker, i ask for unanimous consent that all members be given five days to revise and extend their remarks.

the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. fudge: thank you very much. madam speaker, think congressional black caucus, the c.b.c. is proud to anchor this hour. currently, the c.b.c. is chaired by the honorable barbara lee from the ninth congressional district of california. my name is congresswoman marcia fudge, representing the 11th congressional district of ohio and i anchor this hour. c.b.c. meabs are advocates for humanity, nationally and internationally and have played a significant role as local and regional activists. we work diligently to be the conscience of the congress. understand all politics are local. therefore, we provide dedicated and focused service to the citizens of the congressional districts we serve. the vision of the founding members of the congressional black caucus to promote the public welfare through legislation, designed to meet the needs of millions of neglected citizens. it continues to be a focus for

our legislative work and our political activities. tonight's hour will focus on the unemployment crisis in this country. just last week, madam speaker, the national unemployment numbers were release and the situation is dire. the bureau of labor statistics reported that nationally, another 345,000 lost their jobs in the month of may. the total unemployment nationally has risen above 9%. for african-americans, madam speaker, that statistic is much greater. african-americans suffer unemployment at a rate of almost 15%. over one quarter of the 14.5 million individuals who are job less -- jobless have been unemployed for at least six months. not only are they concerned about finding a job, but they are now fearful their benefits will soon expire. in my home state of ohio, the

situation is even worse. we have entered double digit unemployment with a rate of other 10%. not only must we work to help the newly unemployed, but we must assist the chronically unemployed who are many times forgotten. on friday i heard from economist dr. paul harrington at the center for labor market studies at northwestern university. he gave three recommendations to deal with the job crisis. number one, rically expand job training. number two, establish a connection between schools and jobs. and number three, engage in direct job training activities. we need to assist the unemployed by retooling them, preparing them for employment opportunities now and for the future.

we must always remember that when we work on health care reform, energy, tax legislation, we, too, must focus on the economy. our national attention must remain focused on job creation and saving sustainable jobs for our workforce and to prepare them for new or better employment as opportunities present themselves. because it is most important that we say to our people that there is a future and that is why the topic today is so very important, madam speaker. nationally we have a unique opportunity through these difficult times to help our workforce. we must reinvent and reenergize our workforce with new training opportunities and existing and emerging industries. in my district, doing so involves investing time , money and energy to into -- time,

money and energy into health care, advanced manufacturing, logistics and transportation, advanced energy and information technology. as of april, the state of ohio's unemployment rate reached 10.2%. up from 6.2% the same time last year. there are thousands of unemployed and underemployed individuals who must enhance their skills to become competitive in this knowledged-based economy he, which has now defined our nation's economy. a strong, public consensus supports enhancing the skills of america's workers, especially through high quality education and training. in today's environment the demand for workers to fill midlevel jobs is quite high. and will likely remain high in key sectors of our economy. these midlevel jobs require more education than a high school

diploma or a g.e.d., but less education than a four-year degree. in ohio, nearly 55% of all jobs are midlevel jobs and many of these jobs receive new and federal job creation dollars in health care, green jobs, infrastructure and construction. unfortunately only 45% of workers in ohio have the skill set for these jobs. alarmingly, madam speaker, the national commission on adult literacy recently reported that 30 million adults score at below basic levels on assessment tests, meaning they can perform no more than the most rudimentary literacy task. another 63 million adults are able to perform only simple, basic, everyday literacy tasks.

consequently, madam speaker, we have a mismatch between skills of our nation's workforce and we must have the ability to succeed and the skills our nation's workforce possesses. what we need to do is match those skills and the people who need jobs. years ago our nation established a number of workforce development programs to meet this demand by preparing workers for midlevel jobs. since that time, federal education and training policies have invested very little in these jobs. investments in the programs that prepare middle skilled workers have plummeted. as a result, too many workers struggle to find decent jobs and too many employers struggle to find skilled employees. education and training institutions like community colleges are at the forefront in identifying emerging markets and

-- emerging market demand and training workers to meet 21st century employer needs for professional or career path opportunities. -- opportunities. it is critical that our federal workforce development policy support the kind of work they are doing. a community college at home established the center for health care solutions which specializes in fast-tracked training, allowing displaced workers an opportunity to quickly transition into living wage occupations such as state-tested nursing assistants, dental office assistants, the medical coding specialists that provide stackble credentials and opportunities for rapid career advancement. to meet the needs of a growing health care sector, the college has partnered with the cleveland workforce investment board to offer state-tested nursing

assistant training at the employment connection, which is our local one-stop career center. the partnership removes barriers to success for clients by providing wrap-around services which are fundamental skills training and job placement services. with over 60 hospitals, 30 colleges and universities, strong manufacturing capabilities and billions of dollars in public and private investment, northeast ohio is poised to become a biomedical hub. the business development organization, bioenterprise, reports that biomedical industry has grown more than 30% in the last five years, helping northeast ohio become home to over 600 biomedical companies. the college offers training for all facets of this growing industry, through its one-of-a-kind bioscience

laboratory, featuring medical device manufacturing, pharmaceutical drug manufacturing and business startups through its key entrepreneur center for sustainability. in 2007, approximately 1,500 positions were unfilled in the bioscience industry due to the lack of a trained workforce. it is estimated that approximately 900 of the unfilled positions are in the functional areas of manufacturing and quality control. we have to bridge this disconnect, madam speaker, and help obtain the skill set for the jobs and others like it. the college's advanced center was honored with the economic development impact award for developing a remedy for this workforce short and. the center has more than 12,000 square feet of renovated space and more than six million of modern equipment and tooling

simulaters. although manufacturing jobs have decreased significantly over the last 30 years, the manufacturing sector in and around my district provides nearly 300,000 jobs, which is 15% of the total workforce. it also generates $36 billion in gross regional product, which is 20% of the total grows regional product. many of the most skilled occupations have left the region, but there is a significant number of high-skilled, high-waged paying jobs in advanced manufacturing. this increasingly computerized sector requirings a new set of skills -- requires a new set of skills. my old job training would work hand in hand with employers to develop cust mice mized training for state of the -- customized training for state-of-the-art equipment. we have developed a ford manufacturing technician program that is offered for ford workers. transportation and logistics is

also an in-demand sector because of our local, regional concentration of warehouses and factories. utilizing labor market intelligence, the regional transportation institute features a truck driving institute and radio frequency identification lab that sits on the cutting edge of logistics and material tracking systems. cleveland, madam speaker, is within 500 miles of 43% of the united states population. and is ideally situated as a transportation and logistics hub. the occupations are high-tech and hands on. recognizing the increasing need for construction contractors to interpret green job specifications, the green academy and center for sustainability was developed in the fall of 2008. the academy offers both professional development training in the areas of sustainable business practices, leadership in energy and environmental design,

accreditation and certification along with a multitude of other offerings in the new green economy requested by businesses and the community. through gacs, the pathways to green jobs programs will transition at-risk populations into green occupations, through training opportunities and deconstruction, weatherization, wind turbine components, manufacturing and solar panel installation. the first pathway's class, consisting largely of formerly incarcerated individuals and people lacking permanent homes, provides soft skills training along with hands-on training in a green job. federal workforce development programs have faced extremely deep funding cuts over the past eight years. the workforce investment act and the wagoner pacer employment

service lost more than $9 billion in funding since 2001. reducing the capacity of our national workforce system to respond even to normal levels of demand for skilled workers, let alone the extraordinary demands for job training and reemployment services, we now face -- services we now face. the american recovery and reinvestment act made nearly $4 billion in new funding available through the department of labor for jobs training programs. just under $3 billion of this funding has already gone out to states through formula grants under the workforce development act. speaking with the deputy director of workforce training, i learned that the county will receive nearly $14 million in training. the money will help dislocated adults and youth workers. another $750 million is due to go out in the form of competitive grants, to train people in green jobs, health

care and other high-demand sectors. there are funds from the recovery act that are available to agencies to create jobs in the energy efficiency and renewable energy fields, build roads and bridges, create a new broadband infrastructure, address our nation's ever-growing health care needs, retrofit public housing and government buildings and weatherize hundreds of thousands of homes for low he-income homeowners -- low income homeowners. while some of these jobs can be filled by displaced workers already in the affected sectors, many more will be filled by workers dislocated from other sectors, like young people entering the labor market for the first time and disadvantaged individuals who previously lacked the skills and opportunities. we cannot expect untrained workers to simply show up at a work site shovel ready. it is essential that institutions and training

facilities have the capacity and resources necessary to identify the emerging needs of the region in order to best prepare the workforce for life-long employability. the college is currently serving as a regional coordinator for the ohio skills bank initiative through governor strictland's turn around ohio plan. the ohio skills bank shares the goals of having seamless career pathways and certifications that allow adult workers to earn college credit while increasing their jobs skills and ultimately their wages. employers must create and implement these programs. through the ohio skills bank, northeast ohio has decided to first focus on the health care, manufacturing and information technology sectors as key industries that have immediate workforce needs. my region is poised to leverage funding made available through the american recovery -- american reinvestment and

recovery act with an existing and nimble infrastructure focusing on career pathways, industry partnerships and you increased training -- intreesed training. to best address -- increased training. to best address these needs with a you workforce with high skills, it is necessary to adjust funding, to adjust funding structure so that training opportunities are accessible and usable. the united states department of labor has asked that each state revise their state workforce investment act plans to reflect the strategies they intend to pursue and implement these goals. states have the opportunity to increase training capacity through the reauthorization of the workforce investment act with a few key shifts in how the funding is structured. to increase training as prioritized by congress, funding must directly support educational training facilities. this will allow institutions