Ellison Supports Economic Recovery Act
Press Release
Ellison Supports Economic Recovery Act
Congressman Keith Ellison (D-Minneapolis) voted for landmark legislation to create more than 3.5 million jobs including 66,000 jobs in Minnesota. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, H.R. 1, will jump start this economy through job creation, tax cuts and key investments in our nation's infrastructure.
"Our economy has lost a total of 3.6 million jobs over the last 13 months. In January alone, close to 600,000 jobs were lost," Ellison stated. "That is why I am proud to stand with President Obama and my Democratic colleagues in the Congress to act quickly and to act boldly to get our economy on track," Ellison said.
H.R. 1 is an $800 Billion economic recovery package that creates jobs, cuts taxes for 95% of American workers, and quickly makes critical public investments (75% of the job creating spending on infrastructure will occur in the next 18 months.)
It also helps state and local governments with their budget shortfalls to prevent deep cuts in basic services such as health, education and law enforcement.
"This legislation helps Minnesotans and Minnesota's economy in no uncertain terms," the 5th District Congressman said. "It provides crucial funding for at least 91 Minnesota schools. It also offers an additional $100 per month in unemployment benefits to 331,000 workers in Minnesota who have lost their jobs in the recession, and provides extended unemployment benefits to an additional 52,000 laid-off workers. These are economy starters," Ellison stated.
The legislation contains targeted efforts in:
* Clean, Efficient, American Energy
* Transforming our Economy with Science and Technology
* Lowering Health Care Costs and Ensuring Broader Coverage
* Investing Education for the 21st Century
* Modernizing Roads, Bridges, Transit and Waterways
* Helping Workers Hurt by the Recession
* Providing Strong Accountability Measures
A staggering 2.6 million American jobs were lost in the last year of the Bush Administration the culmination of promoting failed economic plans over and over again plans that also doubled our national debt in 8 short years, and left the nation facing the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.
"The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is a dramatic first step by the new Obama Administration, working with the Democratic Congress, to right our economic ship," Ellison concluded.
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