Washington, D.C.--Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY-17) voted to create hundreds of thousands of new jobs in small businesses and construction this year, spur private sector hiring, and help rebuild our crumbling infrastructure. The bipartisan Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act is part of a larger Congressional agenda to create jobs and strengthen our economy.

“This year’s top priority for me is to make sure New Yorkers are put back to work immediately. This fully-paid-for legislation not only creates badly needed jobs, but it signs the checks now rather than putting it on the tab of future generations. The need for new jobs is urgent and Congress must continue to act wherever we can to provide them for people who are currently out of work,” said Rep. Engel.

The HIRE Act includes a payroll tax holiday for businesses that hire unemployed workers, to create approximately 300,000 jobs, and an income tax credit of $1,000 for businesses that retain these employees. The measure also includes tax cuts to help small businesses invest, expand, and hire more workers. There are provisions to make it easier for states to take up infrastructure projects such as school construction and energy retrofitting, and there is an extension of the Highway Trust Fund which allows for billions of dollars in infrastructure development around the country.

“Once more people are put back to work, the economy will be get a substantial boost and lead it closer to recovery. Between legislation such as the HIRE Act and the Recovery Act, we will continue to find avenues to help deliver jobs for Americans and find common ground in Washington where we can work together to do so,” added Rep. Engel.

The Recovery Act has already saved or created over two million jobs – rebuilding our infrastructure and economy for global competitiveness. Through the Recovery Act, 95 percent of working Americans continue to see the benefit of one of the largest tax cuts in history in every paycheck. The House also passed the comprehensive Jobs for Main Street Act to make targeted investments in areas that will grow our economy over the long term – including highways, public transit, construction, small businesses, job training, and hiring and retaining teachers, police officers, and firefighters.