House Passes Final Version Of Economic Recovery Package

Press Release

U.S. Rep. John Hall (D-Dover) voted today in support of critical legislation to create and save 3.5 million American jobs that will be signed into law next week. The package is expected to create 215,000 jobs in New York and 8,200 jobs in New York's 19th Congressional District. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was approved by a vote of 246-183. The package gives an immediate tax cut to 95 percent of working families, the biggest tax cut in American history.

"This is the right mix of tax cuts and spending will allow us to rebuild America, make us more globally competitive and energy independent, and transform our economy for long-term growth," said Congressman John Hall. "This plan is not perfect, but it will create American jobs right now and lay a foundation for long-term growth through clean energy, innovation and education."

The final version of the legislation has unprecedented accountability and transparency measures to help ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and effectively. Two important features of the bill are that not one earmarked project was included in the final bill and that a new recovery.gov website is being set up to allow Americans to track the stimulus investments.

This jobs and economic recovery plan contains strategic efforts to:
Create or save 215,000 New York jobs;
Give a Making Work Pay tax cut of up to $800 for 7,070,000 New York workers and their families, designed to start paying out immediately into workers' paychecks, as well as tax cuts to spur businesses large and small;
Modernize roads and bridges to create jobs with an extra $1,120,684,723 in New York along with other critical infrastructure like high-speed rail. This is the boldest investment since the creation of the interstate highway system a half century ago;
Transform the U.S. economy with clean, efficient, American energy and innovation and technology that will create more than 1 million jobs;
Lower health care costs and improve care by computerizing medical records, which will create hundreds of thousands of jobs, and help those who cannot afford health care in these tough times;
Modernize schools for the 21st Century and make college more affordable with improved Pell Grants for the 461,816 Pell Grant recipient here in New York and a higher education tax credit for 295,000 students in our state;
Help workers hurt by the economy, including 671,500 New Yorkers that are out of work, those who have lost their health care, and seniors; and
Save the jobs of teachers, police officers, health care workers, and protecting the vital services they provide.

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