Cummings Urges Colleagues to Support Stimulus Package

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 26, 2008

Contact:
Jennifer Kohl
202.225.4289 or 202.225.4025
Trudy Perkins
410.685.9199 or 202.225.4641

Washington, D.C.—Today, Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.), a member of the Joint Economic Committee, urged his colleagues to approve a second economic stimulus package (H.R. 7110) to grow the U.S. economy, provide assistance to those who are struggling to find jobs or afford food for their families, and protect families from losing their health insurance due to state budget crises.

“Last month, another 84,000 Americans lost their jobs, bringing the year’s total job loss to 605,000,” Congressman Cummings said. “This legislation is critical not only to stimulate our failing economy that continues to suffer from the fallout of irresponsible Bush-McCain economic policies, but also to alleviate people’s fears that Congress is going to spend hundreds of billions of dollars to bailout Wall Street while at the same time bailing on Main Street.”

The new stimulus package would provide an additional seven weeks of extended benefits for workers who have exhausted regular unemployment compensation, as well as an additional thirteen weeks of benefits for workers in states with high unemployment rates. It would also provide $500 million for job training programs—including $400 million for dislocated worker and youth employment activities and $100 million to provide customized help for workers receiving unemployment benefits.

Additionally, the bill would direct $2.6 billion toward food stamp recipients, address rising food costs for seniors, people with disabilities, and very poor families with children. This year alone, approximately 27.8 million individuals relied on food stamps for assistance. The stimulus package would also provide a temporary increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) for Medicaid health costs, which will prevent cuts to health insurance and health care services for the low-income children and families.

“Our families are drowning in the faltering economy, trying to keep their heads above water as they are met with skyrocketing gas prices, home foreclosures, job losses, rising health insurance costs, and many other economic obstacles,” Congressman Cummings said. “This bill takes a necessary step in providing some relief to help those who are hurting the most—through efforts that have a proven history of success in stimulating our economy.”

Other highlights of the bill include major investments in infrastructure, including $12.8 billion for aging highways and bridges, $3 billion to repair crumbling schools, and $1 billion for public housing, which will also create new jobs. It also includes investments in energy development to encourage the manufacture of cars with increased fuel efficiency, accelerate the development of renewable energy technologies, and modernize the electric grid to make energy infrastructure more secure and reliable.

“Although I am disappointed that the Senate was unable to pass its version of the stimulus package today, I am still hopeful that we will be find a way to provide this necessary relief to both our economy and the men and women who are struggling to make ends meet,” Congressman Cummings said.

###