American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

Click here for a list of job resources here in Southern Arizona.

Governor Brewer's web site www.azrecovery.gov - provides specific information on implementation of the ARRA in Arizona. 

KGUN 9 News on federal stimulus for Pima ONESTOP job training and home weatherization programs.

Thank you for consulting my website for updates on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, H.R. 1, which has now passed both the House and Senate and was signed into law by President Obama in Denver on February 17, 2009. Click here to read a summary and the full text of the bill. 

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act releases federal funding through a variety of different methods, including formula distribution, direct agency initiatives and competitive grants.  Click here to view a spreadsheet that lists most of the competitive grants included in the package and are organized with each issue area on as separate tab.

Click here to read the OMB memo for Heads of Departments and Agencies, "Initial Implementing Guidance for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009."

Click here to watch my PowerPoint presentation that I delivered on February 16 and 17, 2009, "The American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan--Science, Technology and Energy."

Click here to watch my PowerPoint presentation that I delivered on February 18, 2009, "The American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan--Investments in Business and Infratstructure."

Click here to watch my PowerPoint presentation that I delivered on February 19, 2009, "The American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan--Education, Health and Human Services."

In Arizona, the need for federal assistance is underscored by the state’s budget crisis and latest jobless rate. Faced with a $1.6 billion state budget shortfall, Arizona posted a 6.9 percent unemployment rate in December, the highest since 1993. Click here for local resources for help during these tough economic times.

Arizonans are looking to the Congress to move swiftly to stem job losses and protect critical infrastructure like our public education system, healthcare for working families and support for small businesses. We need to act and act quickly.

I voted for H.R. 1 in the House when it passed on January 28, 2009 and February 13, 2009. I was encouraged to support this economic recovery by community leaders who endorsed Congress’ efforts to address the growing needs of Southern Arizonans.

I also wrote about my support in the Arizona Republic on February 22nd.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has brought millions of dollars to Arizona.

Recovery in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District

Working Families:

• Making Work Pay: The President’s tax-cut – which covers more Americans than any in history – is putting more than $1.1 billion back in the pockets of more than 2.2 million hard-working Arizona families.
• $ 50,876,886 to support child care for working families.

Energy:

• $63,817,400 in block grants to foster energy efficiency in building, transportation, and a wide range of other improvements.
• $57,023,278 to support the weatherization of homes, including adding more insulation, sealing leaks and modernizing heating and air conditioning equipment.
• $55,447,000 to the State Energy Program, available for rebates to consumers for energy saving improvements; development of renewable energy projects; promotion of Energy Star products; efficiency upgrades for state and local government buildings; and other innovative state efforts to help save families money on their energy bills.

Education:

• $1,502,869,874 potentially available to Arizona to lay the foundation for a generation of education reform and help save thousands of teaching jobs at risk due to state and local budget cuts.

Health Care:

• $3,900, 000 to fund 3 new Community Health Centers, which will serve an estimated 13,010 patients and create a projected 95 jobs.
• $5,630,597 to expand services at 16 existing Community Health Centers, which will expand service to an additional 59,814 patients and create or save a projected 125 jobs.
• $1,991,976 to provide meals to low-income seniors.
• $351,481,067 made available in Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) to protect health care for the families hit hard by the economic crisis and some of the nation’s most vulnerable citizens.
• $3,741,938 in vaccines and grants to ensure more underserved Americans receive the vaccines they need.

Transportation:

• $521,958,401 in highway funds to help build and repair roads and bridges.
• $100,561,948 to repair and build public transportation infrastructure.
• $28,648,700 to address airport safety and security, infrastructure, runway safety, increased capacity, and mitigation of environmental impacts.

Law Enforcement:

• More than $41.9 for state and local law enforcement assistance available through the Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program.  The JAG Program supports a variety of efforts such as hiring and support for law enforcement officers; multijurisdictional drug and gang task forces; crime prevention and domestic violence programs; and courts, corrections, treatment, and justice information sharing initiatives.

Click here to have your questions answered about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

My top priority for economic stimulus is investing in green energy and green jobs. I fully support President Obama’s call to double the U.S. production of alternative energy in the next three years. Doing so will foster job creation and the development of innovative new technologies that will contributing to boosting U.S. competitiveness, and foster a cleaner, safer planet. Investing in alternative energy and efficiency improvements are a long-term responsible approach—it will cut our dependence on foreign oil and save our taxpayers, businesses and governments on energy bills. I also support investments beyond energy that result in green jobs and energy cost savings such as modernizing federal buildings and public schools. I have spoken on the House floor numerous times in support of including responsible and effective provisions in H.R. 1 to safeguard the solar power industry. Click here to watch my most recent speech.

As a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition, I believe we must ensure transparency and fiscal responsibility as we provide financial relief and make expensive investments across multiple sectors. In January, I sent a letter with my colleagues to Speaker Pelosi calling on her to include in the economic stimulus legislation requirements to track and measure the impact of federal dollars, ensure spending efficacy and thorough reporting. It is important not to repeat the perceived lack of transparency and accountability experienced with the disbursement of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) funding.

In order to ensure transparency and accountability in the stimulus package spending, the letter urged Speaker Pelosi to include provisions to:

• track in detail how stimulus funds are spent by state, county and municipal entities, with project visibility from start to finish, and compliance reporting, while placing as little burden as possible on the recipient entities;
• report the resulting economic impacts down to the local level so the effectiveness of funding can be measured and future funding can be allocated with maximum impact; and
• provide qualified businesses across the United States a simple method to access federally-funded stimulus projects as soon as they are let out for bid, at no cost to businesses.

Click here for the details of the transparency and accountability provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The inclusion of these mechanisms would allow funds to be put to use at a much faster pace in local economies and ensure that projects reach the broadest possible set of qualified contractors.