Improving The Economy

Every day in Congress, Rep. Grijalva helps lead the fight to protect America’s working families and put Americans back to work. He believes we can’t tinker around the margins and hope things get better. We need to go big. Focusing on serious job creation projects right away will help prevent further unemployment and underemployment. He believes we cannot afford to disappoint an entire generation of American workers with a weak economy.

Some in the new Congress have sought to cut taxes for the largest corporations, wealthy oil companies and the richest two percent  of the population. This is a recipe for continued economic decline. Over the past 18 months, he has introduced and supported legislation that directly creates jobs, makes the workplace safer and more fair for employees, and expands work opportunities to new groups of Americans. Click here for a one-page summary of his work to help Southern Arizona small businesses.

In 2011, as co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, he led the creation and introduction of the People's Budget, which produced a $21 billion budget surplus in 10 years. You can learn more about it at http://www.thepeoplesbudget.org. Earlier this year, he led the CPC's introduction of the Budget for All, which achieves $6.8 trillion in deficit reduction in a responsible way that does not devastate what Americans want preserved. You can learn more about it at http://www.budgetforall.org.

Legislation He Has Introduced

Restore the American Dream for the 99% Act - This bill is a comprehensive package of emergency jobs legislation, sensible revenue raisers, cuts to unnecessary weapons platforms and measures to strengthen and protect Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.  The Act for the 99% creates over 5 million jobs over the next two years and reduces the budget deficit by more than $2 trillion over the next ten years while protecting the programs Americans rely on. 

The Prioritize Emergency Job Creation Act – Right now, a law called the Budget Control Act prevents Congress from appropriating the money necessary to spur new, innovative job creation measures. Rep. Grijalva introduced this bill to remove that cap on funds for emergency job creation measures, which are stalled because of these artificial limits. The conservative House Majority has invented arbitrary job creation restrictions at a time of historic unemployment, and he believes we need to take the straitjacket off as soon as possible.

Border Infrastructure and Jobs Act – Rep. Grijalva introduced this comprehensive economic revitalization bill in September 2011. It establishes the United States-Mexico Economic Partnership Commission (EPC) to strengthen border economic development and commerce; creates a Port Security and Trade Facilitation grant program to expand trusted shipper program access to small and medium-sized businesses; fully funds the expansion and modernization projects at Arizona’s ports of entry; and adds 500 Customs and Border Protection officers to Arizona’s land ports of entry, among other measures. The bill makes sure jobs stay local by mandating that at least 30 percent of labor for any federal contract or subcontract is performed by a local subcontractor.

Promoting Partnerships to Transform Opportunities Act – Rep. Grijalva has focused on the reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act, which is an excellent vehicle for resources to help train, retrain and prepare individuals for jobs available in their community. He introduced this bill to create grants to facilitate partnerships between higher education institutions and local businesses so they can design work training programs that address those businesses’ particular needs.

Public Lands Service Corps Act – As we recover from the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, jobs creation is a national focus, and rightly so. We need to return our economy to sustainable levels of employment and train future generations for a new economic landscape. There are significant opportunities for job creation on our public lands. This legislation authorizes an existing program to continue to train the land managers and conservations of the future, increasing exposure to public lands among youth and underserved communities that do not always have the opportunity engage in the natural places that make our country so unique.

Medicaid Enhancement and Emergency Job Creation Act – This bill provides greater health care funds to state Medicaid programs by expanding the Federal Medical Assistance Percentages rates established by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. According to an analysis from the Economic Policy Institute, an additional $42 billion in Medicaid grants could close more than 40 percent of states’ budget shortfalls and provide immediate economic support, particularly for states with high unemployment. This assistance could increase employment by an estimated 444,000 jobs in a single year. You can review the full analysis at http://bit.ly/u4EyHL.

Legislation He Is Cosponsoring and Programs He Supports

Rep. Grijalva supports bills in a variety of policy areas to improve the economy.

Investing in Jobs

Emergency Jobs to Restore the American Dream Act – Rep. Grijalva believes we must get Americans back to work and invest in our infrastructure. The Emergency Jobs to Restore the American Dream Act creates more than 2 million jobs in two years and addresses some of our most critical economic and social needs. Passing this bill will put teachers, construction workers, health care providers and young people to work making real progress in our country.

Small Business Credit Card Act – To help create jobs and rejuvenate our economy, Rep. Grijalva cosponsors this bill to protect small businesses from unfair interest rate changes, deceptive practices, and unnecessary fees.  Small businesses are not afforded the same protections as individuals from abusive and deceptive credit card practices, and we should fix this right away.

Small Business Lending Enhancement Act – During this difficult period in our economy, many small businesses need capital to stay afloat, remain competitive and continue to hire. Due to lending caps, many small businesses cannot access these needed funds. Rep. Grijalva co-sponsors the Small Business Lending Enhancement Act to raise business lending caps for credit unions and allow our small businesses to keep creating new jobs.

Putting Our Resources Toward Security (PORTS) Act – Our ports of entry are a critical component of Arizona’s economy, which is threatened today by a severe lack of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) manpower. The PORTS Act would provide funding for an additional 5,000 Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents to improve inspections and reduce traffic congestion.

Humphrey-Hawkins 21^st Century Full Employment and Training Act – Ensuring full employment in the United States is an essential role of our government. He supports this important bill to set aside federal dollars purely for job creation and direct hiring in times of high unemployment. He believes that we need to make sure everyone who wants a job is able to find one.

Rebuilding America’s Schools Act – Fixing and renovating our schools is essential in preparing our students for an ever more competitive job market. Without high-quality schools, we can’t expect high-quality public education. This bill extends bond programs to improve school facilities and help give our students the best possible chance for success.

Emergency Unemployment Compensation Expansion Act – In a crisis driven by lack of consumer demand, unemployed Americans must have the means to create demand for American businesses while they search for work. This bill extends unemployment insurance compensation until September of 2012 to make sure long-term unemployment doesn’t put families in the street or set back our economic recovery.

National Infrastructure Development Bank Act of 2011 – This bill creates a National Infrastructure Bank that can provide a new way to objectively fund our nation’s critical infrastructure projects at a time when fiscal constraints at all levels of government are making financing projects by conventional means difficult.

Pathways Back to Work Act – This bill addresses our deepening, long-term unemployment crisis by supporting job creation for working families, providing opportunities for young Americans in summer and year-round employment, and creating a nationwide competitive grant for work-related training programs.

Water Infrastructure Resiliency and Sustainability Act – This bill establishes a competitive grant program at the EPA to allow the nation’s drinking water, wastewater, and storm water systems to apply for funding to create projects to adapt their operations and infrastructure to climate change impacts.

Expanding Workforce Opportunities

21^st Century Green High-Performing School Facilities Act – This bill, which he has supported through multiple sessions of Congress, creates grants to schools to help them update their facilities. This would have several benefits for the country: creating jobs in green building construction and repair, helping to repair failing schools and facilities where children are trying to learn in sometimes dangerous conditions, and establish long-term energy cost savings for schools, districts and states.

21^st Century Civilian Conservation Corps Act – Rep. Grijalva supports robust investment in civilian conservation efforts. This bill would open up millions of jobs to create and maintain public spaces, revive our economy, improve our neighborhoods and green places and invigorate national and community pride. The bill promotes forestation of U.S. and state lands, prevention of forest fires, floods, and soil erosion, and repair of National Park trails. It would give preference for Conservation Corps employment to unemployed veterans and others who have been out of work.

Keep Teachers Teaching Act – Demands on teachers are growing as the expectations of our students grow. He supports this legislation to help strapped states and localities keep well-trained teachers in the classroom. Setting ourselves up for a chronic teacher shortage won’t help anyone in the long run.

Urban Revitalization and Livable Communities Act, Put America to Work Act, Local Jobs for America Act – These bills provide grants to local governments for parks and recreation revitalization and construction, including building programs for at-risk youth and recovery action programs and to help build and repair public facilities such as schools and libraries.

VET (Veterans Engaged for Tomorrow) Corps Act – Our veterans and their families have made enormous sacrifices for our country, and we as a nation owe them assistance when they seek jobs and return to the civilian workforce. This bill, introduced in 2009 and expected to be introduced again, would expand the National and Community Service Act to train and equip veterans and their families in employment opportunities related to national and community services.

Veterans Reemployment Act – This bill ensures that those who leave behind jobs to defend our nation are guaranteed those jobs when they return home, and offers necessary training for returning soldiers.

Community College Energy Training Act – This legislation would provide grants through the Department of Energy to community colleges to provide workforce training and education in sustainable energy industries.

Women and Workforce Investment for Nontraditional Jobs Act – This legislation directs the Department of Labor to support state programs to recruit, train, place and retain women in high-demand, high-wage, nontraditional occupations.

The Serve America Act – This important bill became law in 2009, and he was proud to be a cosponsor. Investments in community service and volunteer activities are great ways for our communities to provide employment opportunities with identifiable local benefits.

Ensuring Workplace Equity and Fairness

Paycheck Fairness Act – This bill would end wage discrimination against people who work in female-dominated or minority-dominated jobs by establishing equal pay for equivalent work.

The Employment Non-Discrimination Act – This bill would prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.

Federal Firefighters Fairness Act – This bill updates rules regarding firefighters with heart- or lung-related diseases, making the illnesses presumed job-related unless specific evidence shows otherwise for the purpose of medical coverage.

American Economic Resources - Benefiting Americans

Keep American Oil Here Act – This bill requires that new leases issued by the Department of the Interior for drilling on public lands require that all oil and refined fuels produced from those leases be sold in the United States, except in specific circumstances.

Energy Markets Emergency Act – This bill directs the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to utilize its complete authority, including its emergency powers, to eliminate excessive oil speculation. The bill is identical to bipartisan legislation that passed the House 402-19 in June of 2008.

Letter to Attorney General Holder (April 9) - This letter urges AG Holder to use "every investigatory and law enforcement tool at [his] disposal to ensure the proper functioning of our oil and gas markets," including the authority of the Oil and Gas Price Fraud Working Group empowered to investigate whether excessive speculation or manipulation are driving up oil and gas prices.