Boxer Praises Senate Passage of Bill to Save Jobs of Teachers, Police and Firefighters

Press Release

U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) today praised the Senate's 61-39 vote to pass legislation that will extend emergency funding to help save the jobs of hundreds of thousands of teachers and first responders across the nation.

Senator Boxer said, "The Senate's vote today will save up to 16,500 teacher jobs in California -- and just in time, as millions of children in our state are getting ready to go back to school. This legislation will also save the jobs of police officers and firefighters and help protect public safety and health care for working families -- all without adding a penny to the deficit."

The bill will help save up to 161,000 teacher jobs nationwide just before the start of the school year. California will receive $1.2 billion for education, the most of any state, which will help save up to 16,500 teacher jobs, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

The legislation is expected to provide $1.8 billion for California's Medicaid program, which serves more than seven million Californians. The funding will help protect critical services, such as public safety programs, while the state seeks to close a $19 billion budget deficit.

The teacher jobs provision was based on legislation that Senator Boxer sponsored with Senator Tom Harkin, D-IA. Their bill -- the Keep Our Educators Working Act -- was aimed at keeping teachers in the classroom to protect the education of our children.

The legislation is fully paid for through spending cuts and by closing tax loopholes for companies that ship jobs overseas. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the measure will reduce the federal deficit by $1.4 billion over the next decade.

The bill is expected to go to the House next week for final approval.

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