Jobs Bill Passes

Press Release

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree led off debate yesterday on the Jobs for Main Street Act on what is expected to be the final legislative day for the House in this session. Included in the legislation, which was passed by the House yesterday, are the jobs bill and a bill providing funding for the Department of Defense.

Speaking on the floor of the House, Pingree told her colleagues that Congress should focus on creating jobs for average Americans.

"We need to act now, and we need to act fast, to ensure that Main Street recovers. If we do not act, we will have only ensured that Wall Street keeps their bonuses while American families lose their benefits. We will have only watched Wall Street get rid of their debt, while small businesses take on more."

"We've already put more than enough into shoring up Wall Street, now we need to focus on creating jobs for the average American that will rebuild our economy from the bottom up," Pingree said.

The bill redirects $75 billion of TARP funds to invest in infrastructure, job training and to hire and retain teachers, firefighters and police officers.

"We have the opportunity, and we have the obligation, to take the bailout money that was used as a lifeline to Wall Street, and give that money back to the American people and those who have been hit hardest by these tough economic times," Pingree said on the floor.

The Jobs for Main Street Act invests $48 billion in roads and bridges, school renovation, clean water and housing. The bill provides for $27 billion to hire and retain teachers, firefighters and police officers. In addition, the bill extends emergency unemployment benefits through next June and extends a 65% subsidy for COBRA coverage for laid-off workers, also through June of 2010.

Pingree also managed procedural debate for a bill funding the Department of Defense for fiscal year 2010. Included in the appropriations bill are over $24 million in federal funding for defense contractors throughout Maine as well as research at the University of Maine.

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