Congressman Maffei Votes for Recovery and Reinvestment Plan to Bring Jobs and Resources to Central New York

Press Release

Congressman Maffei Votes for Recovery and Reinvestment Plan to Bring Jobs and Resources to Central New York

Congressman Dan Maffei (NY-25) today joined a majority in the House of Representatives in support of critical legislation to create and save millions American jobs that will be signed into law next week. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was approved by a vote of 246-183. This package provides much needed tax breaks for working families and makes historic investments in education, infrastructure and transportation projects, healthcare and energy improvements.

"The urgency to pass this critical recovery package was growing by the day, and I am pleased that we found a legislative compromise to pass the best possible bill for the American people. President Obama made it perfectly clear that that we cannot let the perfect be the enemy of the absolutely necessary and that this was the bill he wanted to sign in to law to get our economy back on track" said Congressman Maffei. "Major layoffs are announced in Syracuse and Rochester seemingly every week, the nation is approaching 5 million unemployed workers, and New York State and our local school districts are announcing severe budget cuts. This bill will help those who are falling through the cracks and stave off some of the painful cuts we are facing in my district. I look forward to working with out state and local elected officials to get the funds distributed as quickly and effectively as possible."

Governor Paterson said: "I want to thank New York's Congressional Delegation and Representative Maffei for moving quickly to ensure passage of this important legislation. New York is facing a $13 billion deficit. And while we must continue to reduce spending to match lower revenues, the American Recovery and Reinvestment act will provide critical dollars for programs and projects throughout New York. I look forward to working with the Delegation to see that these funds are distributed efficiently and effectively across New York State."

Syracuse Mayor Matthew Driscoll said: "The deep economic crisis the country is mired in required strong action and that is what the Congress and the president have done with the passage of the federal stimulus package. I look forward to working with our federal representatives and Governor Paterson to determine which projects here in Syracuse and Central New York can be funded to put people back to work, and shore up portions of our public infrastructure."

Kerry Quaglia, Executive Director of Home HeadQuarters, Inc, said: "We applaud Congressman Maffei's support of this bill, which restores funding to the Neighborhood Stabilization Program, the Community Development Block Grant Program and Community Development Financial Institutions fund. These vital funds will help restore and revitalize our neighborhoods by safeguarding homes from foreclosure and abandonment, helping homeowners remain in their homes and by providing emergency funding for unexpected major home repair."

David Duerr, Executive Vice President, Greater Syracuse Chamber of Commerce, said: "This round of economic stimulus will bring real impact to Central New York on many fronts. Health care costs are a top concern for both employers and employees, so a major investment in interoperable health information technology provides a path to better treatments and lower costs. Energy investment holds the most potential for our region. We hope Central New York's "green' sector will expand research and grow jobs via the billions of dollars available for energy and efficiency grants, renewable energy research and loan guarantees for wind and solar. Job training dollars can be well spent to transition our region's workforce into new technology and green jobs, stimulating the Central New York economy in the 21st Century. We commend Congressman Maffei for his diligent efforts throughout this arduous process to advocate for the priorities and needs of the Central New York economy."

The legislation also has unprecedented accountability and transparency measures to help ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and effectively--including no earmarked projects and a new recovery.gov website allowing Americans to track the investments.

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