WASHINGTON, D.C. – With states and municipalities facing more potential layoffs amidst budget squeezes, today House Democrats and a bipartisan group of mayors announced new legislation to create one million public and private sector jobs in local communities. (Listen to the audio of the press conference call introducing the legislation here.)
The Local Jobs for America Act, authored by U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), will save and create jobs quickly in both the public and private sectors and help restore vital services that families and local communities rely on. The financial collapse is forcing states and municipalities to cut jobs that are critically important to local communities – teachers, police, firefighters, childcare workers, and others.
The Local Jobs for America Act, authored by U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), will save and create jobs quickly in both the public and private sectors and help restore vital services that families and local communities rely on. The financial collapse is forcing states and municipalities to cut jobs that are critically important to local communities – teachers, police, firefighters, childcare workers, and others.
“Job cuts by local communities threaten to derail America’s economic
recovery,” said Miller, chairman of the House Education and Labor
Committee. “Local communities are having to choose between raising taxes
to sustain essential services or firing more workers. We should not ask
students to forgo a year of education or tell families that their
safety will be compromised because local governments have to lay off
teachers and police officers. This bill will quickly create local jobs
that we can count – and jobs that we can count on.”
The bill – developed with mayors, county officials and others – will provide $75 billion over two years to local communities to hold off planned cuts or to hire back workers for local services who have been laid-off because of tight budgets. Funding would go directly to eligible local communities and nonprofit community organizations to decide how best to use the funds.
“Mayors are pleased to partner with Chairman Miller to push this important legislation. We deal face-to-face with unemployed citizens because we see them everywhere – in coffee shops, grocery stores, beauty salons and barber shops. And they all tell us the same thing – all they want is a good, dependable job so they can support their families,” said Mayor Elizabeth Kautz, of Burnsville, Minnesota, the president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. “Mayors know from experience that investment in metropolitan economies with direct funding to cities can create and save jobs and can do it quickly.”
The National League of Cities, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and the National Association of Counties, among others, have endorsed the legislation.
The Local Jobs for America Act will also fund approximately 50,000 additional private-sector on-the-job training positions to help businesses put people back to work. Workers will be able to acquire core job skills and important work experience for private employers.
“Our bill is about getting America back to work,” said Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) and vice chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. “When Americans faced massive unemployment in the 1930s, our policymakers responded with programs like the Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps. This bill responds to the needs of this generation, demonstrating once again that we are one nation, indivisible.”
The bill also includes $24 billion, already approved by the House in December, to help states support 250,000 education jobs, put 5,500 law enforcement officers on the beat, and retain, rehire, and hire firefighters.
“Earlier today, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn gave his annual budget address in which he outlined a plan to borrow billions of dollars alongside $2 billion in cuts. States like mine desperately need federal assistance to directly retain and hire teachers, firefighters, police, and other critical employees,” said Rep. Phil Hare (D-IL), member of the Congressional Task Force on Job Creation and chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus Task Force on Jobs. “The Local Jobs for America Act would provide that lifeline. I congratulate Chairman Miller for putting forward the most promising remedy to our unemployment crisis yet.”
The bill – developed with mayors, county officials and others – will provide $75 billion over two years to local communities to hold off planned cuts or to hire back workers for local services who have been laid-off because of tight budgets. Funding would go directly to eligible local communities and nonprofit community organizations to decide how best to use the funds.
“Mayors are pleased to partner with Chairman Miller to push this important legislation. We deal face-to-face with unemployed citizens because we see them everywhere – in coffee shops, grocery stores, beauty salons and barber shops. And they all tell us the same thing – all they want is a good, dependable job so they can support their families,” said Mayor Elizabeth Kautz, of Burnsville, Minnesota, the president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. “Mayors know from experience that investment in metropolitan economies with direct funding to cities can create and save jobs and can do it quickly.”
The National League of Cities, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and the National Association of Counties, among others, have endorsed the legislation.
The Local Jobs for America Act will also fund approximately 50,000 additional private-sector on-the-job training positions to help businesses put people back to work. Workers will be able to acquire core job skills and important work experience for private employers.
“Our bill is about getting America back to work,” said Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) and vice chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. “When Americans faced massive unemployment in the 1930s, our policymakers responded with programs like the Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps. This bill responds to the needs of this generation, demonstrating once again that we are one nation, indivisible.”
The bill also includes $24 billion, already approved by the House in December, to help states support 250,000 education jobs, put 5,500 law enforcement officers on the beat, and retain, rehire, and hire firefighters.
“Earlier today, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn gave his annual budget address in which he outlined a plan to borrow billions of dollars alongside $2 billion in cuts. States like mine desperately need federal assistance to directly retain and hire teachers, firefighters, police, and other critical employees,” said Rep. Phil Hare (D-IL), member of the Congressional Task Force on Job Creation and chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus Task Force on Jobs. “The Local Jobs for America Act would provide that lifeline. I congratulate Chairman Miller for putting forward the most promising remedy to our unemployment crisis yet.”
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