For Immediate Release
April 18, 2008 |
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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Cullen Schwarz
Office: 202.225.4961
Mobile: 202.225.0471 |
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More than 25 Members Join with Dingell, Michigan Democrats to Call for Second Economic Stimulus Package
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In letter to Pelosi, Members Call for Additional Help for Working Families |
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(Washington D.C.)- {In response to the continued economic downturn, four Members of Congress from Michigan joined with their colleagues all across the country from New Hampshire to Southern California in sending a letter initiated by Congressman John D. Dingell (D-MI15) to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calling for a second, broader economic stimulus initiative. This is on the heels of a stimulus package which passed Congress and was signed into law in February that provided most taxpayers with a rebate check. In addition to calling for short-term initiatives to stimulate the economy like extending unemployment benefits, increased infrastructure investment and increased food stamp payments, this letter focuses on creating a strategy for creating well-paying jobs and preparing a workforce in transition.
“Americans, particularly those in my home state of Michigan, are feeling the pain of the ever-weakening economy. House and Senate leadership are to be commended for the swift and well-reasoned action taken earlier this year. However, we must go further,” Dingell said. “The employment marketplace is changing faster than our people can adapt to the new conditions. The remedies we are calling for could help soften the landing for those who’ve taken a hard fall either because of lost job, foreclosured home or both.”
Joining Dingell from Michigan were Congressman Dale Kildee (D-MI05), Congressman Sandy Levin (D-MI12), and Congressman Bart Stupak (D-MI01).
“While economists debate whether the country is in a recession, for people living in Michigan there is no doubt. Unemployment in Michigan is 7.2 percent, well above the national rate of 5.1 percent,” said Kildee. “Tax rebates will help to stimulate the economy in Michigan, but more must be done in Washington to send much needed help to job-seekers.”
“My office receives stories everyday from people in Michigan desperately struggling to find work, to afford healthcare and to keep their homes,” said Representative Levin. “In the face of the extreme hardship so many families are facing, the president’s hands-off approach to the current economic crisis is troubling. We must take action to pull our nation out of its economic tailspin and create good jobs over the long-term. The provisions we are calling for will help those individuals in dire need now, and strengthen the general economic health of the nation.”
“The tax rebate checks that will start going out next month are a good start for providing immediate economic relief to those who need it the most,” Stupak said. “But additional action is needed to address our economic challenges in the long-term. An infusion of spending on vital infrastructure projects in particular will pump money into our local communities, put people to work and provide the backbone to grow our economy.”
In the letter, Dingell and the 29 Members call for:
- an extension of unemployment insurance benefits to 20 weeks, to be followed by 13 additional weeks for high unemployment states like Michigan
- increased food stamp benefits for the families most in need
- an increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage by 2.95 percent, which would provide a direct economic boost to struggling states and ensure that our most vulnerable citizens continue to receive critical health care coverage
- increased investment in schools, roads, water and sewer projects, and other public infrastructure projects that are ready to go will put people to work and build or repair needed capital assets while pumping up the economy
- amending the tax code to allow the federal government to pay for 50 percent of catastrophic healthcare costs above a certain threshold for all workers with company-provided coverage and employed by manufacturers that operate in the United States
- authorize the government refinancing of some troubled mortgages with a program similar to the Homeowners’ Loan Corporation, which was so successful during the Great Depression
- strengthening and enhancing the Technology Innovation Program (TIP), the American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI), and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP)
- increasing in the amount and extending of the current consumer tax credit for the purchase of advanced technology vehicles
The other Members who’ve joined the Congressman include:
Edolphus Towns (NY)
Carol Shea-Porter (NH)
David Loebsack (IA)
Frank Pallone (NJ)
Henry Waxman (CA)
Artur Davis (AL)
Doris Matsui (CA)
Mike Doyle (PA)
Bob Filner (CA)
Bart Stupak (MI)
Gwen Moore (WI)
Nick Rahall (WV)
Tammy Baldwin (WI)
Donald Payne (NJ)
Hank Johnson (GA)
John Lewis (GA)
Sander Levin (MI)
Phil Hare (IL)
Sanford Bishop (GA)
Mazie Hirono (HI)
Joe Courtney (CT)
Jan Schakowsky (IL)
Betty McCollum (MN)
John Hall (NY)
Rick Boucher (VA)
Stephanie Tubbs Jones (OH)
Carolyn Maloney (NY)
Lynn Woolsey (CA)
Dale Kildee (MI)
“I want to thank all of those who’ve signed on to this letter,” Dingell said. “Many Americans can’t wait until January 2009 for change. It is our job to provide help for them now.”
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