HOUSE PASSES JOBS BILL

Washington, D.C.-- On December 16, the U.S. House passed a critical bill to assist our struggling economy and create jobs.

By a 217-212 vote, the House passed a package that would extend unemployment insurance, aid state governments and fund important infrastructure projects. Some of these initiatives are renewals of funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which are set to expire at the end of the year.

The House’s bill would help state and local governments retain teachers and firefighters and maintain services critical in this time of economic hardship. It also would create jobs by funding public works projects like school construction, rail, transit, water systems and highways. And by extending unemployment insurance and COBRA health care coverage, it gives critical help to those suffering from the jobs crisis at a time when the economy needs consumer demand. The House bill is paid for out of bank bailout funds, so it will not impact the deficit.

The bill must next be approved by the U.S. Senate. But unless we light a fire under lawmakers, nothing will move before the end of the year and the unemployment insurance for millions of jobless workers will expire.

Tell U. S. Senators to pass the Jobs for Main Street Act (H.R. 2847), which invests $154 billion to create and save jobs. Again, the bill invests in highway and mass transit projects, building and repairing schools and low-income housing, creating and saving jobs for teachers, police and firefighters and additional hiring and training programs. The bill also extends recovery act initiatives to help small businesses create jobs, lifeline unemployment, health care and food aid to people who have lost their jobs and cuts taxes for 16 million families through the Child Tax Credit.  Public libraries need to be included in the funding streams to help America get back on it's feet.  Libraries and library workers are part of solution to economic recovery. 

You can view the roll call on the House vote here.

We need to urgently create jobs and deal with our unemployment crisis. Aid to state governments, extending the lifeline to unemployed workers and funding infrastructure projects are key components of the AFL-CIO’s five-point plan to create jobs. The House’s bill is a down payment, but we must continue to take robust action on jobs.

How this affects New York State:

New York state government, school districts and local governments would receive additional federal aid early next year under a $174 billion jobs bill.

The Jobs for Main Street Act of 2010 would move $75 billion from the Troubled Assets Relief Program to spend on infrastructure projects and public sector jobs.  House Democrats said the new money would prevent the economy from dipping back into recession. 

Republicans objected to the new spending and pointed out that much of the $787 billion economic stimulus legislation enacted in February has not yet been spent.

In Albany, state officials would have a somewhat less challenging task preparing for the fiscal year that begins in April because the package also includes additional Medicaid money through June 2011.

The Medicaid money would supplement the Medicaid aid Congress provided earlier this year in a federal economic stimulus bill. That legislation, however, cut off an enhanced federal Medicaid formula on Dec. 31 of next year.

The U.S. Senate is not expected to take up this legislation until early next year.  And, we still have to get through the health care debate!

The federal legislation includes:

$27.5 billion for highway projects.

$23 billion for an Education Jobs Fund to preserve 250,000 jobs over the next two years; states would be required to pass along 95 percent of the money to school districts and colleges.

$8.4 billion for public transportation.

$4.1 billion for school renovation grants.

$2 billion for communities to use for drinking water and sewer projects.

$2 billion for Department of Energy innovation loans to promote renewable energy and electric transmission projects.

$1.18 billion to hire 5,500 law enforcement officers.

$1 billion for the National Housing Trust Fund to develop and rehabilitate affordable housing.

$1 billion for public housing authorities to use for capital projects.

$800 million for Amtrak to buy new trains and locomotives and rehabilitate existing equipment.

$500 million for rehiring firefighters (hopefully in Canandaigua).

$500 million for airport improvements.