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House Passes Jobs Bill—Tell Senate to Act NOW
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Last night, 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 that august body, nothing will move before the end of the year and the unemployment insurance for millions of jobless workers will expire.
Tell senators to pass the Jobs for Main Street Act (H.R. 2847), which invests $154 billion to create and save jobs. 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. And it’s totally paid for with leftover bank bailout funds.
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.
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7 Comments
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Sorry, I don’t agree. I don’t think continously throwing money at unemployment is helping us. We need to create jobs, well paying jobs. In order to do that we need to restructure our trade and immigration policies. I also think since we bailed out the banks, Obama should have implemented credit card reform. The US citizens who bailed out the banks are now being strangled financially by the very institutions they saved. Something is seriously wrong here. I read before Obama was elected that Chase was a huge supporter of Obama’s campaign, I don’t think you are going to see much action in that area of reform where credit lenders are concerned. The reason that the banks aren’t lending out much money is because they are stock piling it so they can pay back their Govt issued TARP loans. Obama should have written in that they had to lend out a certain % of money if they got assistance from the previous administration. I’m not a Harvard Graduate and I can clearly see where this Govt is failing it’s citizens. End the War, that will free up a ton of money.
Ruby has a warped view of what unemployment insurance really accomplishes. True, it helps construction guys like me get closer to my mortgage payment each month but its primary function is to give us unemployed enough money to spend to keep our economy limping along until recovery occurs. As to the other charges Ruby makes I would affirm but point out that most of the projects proposed for funding are infrastructure projects that 30 years of conservative Reaganomics have deferred in favor of Tax breaks for the rich, subsidies for the Corporations and deregulation of everything from banks, tariffs, airlines, trucking and the intentional instituitionalizing of jobs outsourcing by tax breaks for the scumbags that ship them overseas and reap more riches without penalty.
Jobs will be saved by limiting immigration, no factories overseas, a tariff on imported goods from foreign countries and NO free trade agreements.
If you’re one of those out of work right now with dismal prospects then throwing money at unemployment certainly IS helping. Immigration policies are a red herring issue. Since the Pangaea this land has been open to all comers. America was founded by immigrants and built by immigrants from it’s inception. The real problem is the rise of the corporate oligarchy and central bank. This monetary dominion is empirically incapably of acting in the benefit of human interest. Profit is the sole motivation; fear and greed are the only pivotal factors. The business class rules both parties with absolute impunity. Democracy is dead. The illusion is maintained only to stave off rebellion. ooh, heck… what was my point?!? oh, ya. Social initiatives in hard financial times do alot of good for alot of people. (okay, that wasn’t my original point, but its a good one.)
It time they stopped the war and bought the troops home,that alone would free up a lot of money for our country to use for the Tax Paying men and women in this county stop waseful program to assist other countries,before our dollar isn’t worth the paper it weitten on.Mac H
This country is NOT open to ALL comers. This country has immigraton laws and is only OPEN to people who follow those laws. And you’re absolutely right, this country was built by IMMIGRANTS. Not illegals.
Deafening silence on this blog regarding the so called Health Care reform bill snaking it’s way through Congress. Once again we have been betrayed by the Democrats and our leadership as usual have been hoodwinked.
The time has come for what Britain and Australia did over 100 years ago, it’s time for a bonafide US LABOR PARTY.