Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. MATSUI. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the rule and the underlying legislation.

The Education Jobs and Medicaid Act would relieve strained state budgets, save jobs, protect public health and safety and ensure our nation's youth receive the educations they deserve.

This critical legislation is fully paid for and would help states and local communities in two ways:

First, the bill would provide states with funds to preserve the jobs of teachers, keeping educators in the classroom.

Second, it would extend a temporary increase in the federal Medicaid matching rate, providing desperately needed assistance to already cash strapped states.

These problems are known all too well in California and in my home town of Sacramento where we have been grappling with teacher and police layoffs to balance the budget.

My district's unemployment rate is 12.6 percent and the cutting of any jobs for those who teach and protect our children will continue to have a devastating impact on our future.

And if we cannot deliver money to FMAP the state will be forced to cut Medi-CAL and other programs, endangering the health of families and jobs in the health care sector.

These cuts would not only put the safety and well-being of our constituents at risk, but would also result in additional job losses, which we clearly cannot afford.

H.R. 1586 would make certain that my constituents and all Americans get the care and services they need.

The American people are feeling the effects of state budget constraints every day and they should not be forced to wait any longer for relief.

I urge my colleagues to support the rule and the underlying legislation.

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