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Economic Stimulus Package
On Thursday, December 11th the House Appropriations Committee held a hearing to consider a two-year stimulus or recovery bill for $600 billion - $1 trillion to boost federal funding for infrastructure, unemployment insurance, food stamps, and Medicaid.
Democratic leaders continue to lay the foundation for an economic recovery bill they intend to release in January. They intend to push infrastructure funding for projects that are “ready to go.” In addition to roads and highways, President-elect Obama stated that he would like infrastructure funding to include school construction, energy-efficiency for public buildings, expanding broadband internet access, and making medical records available electronically.
On Monday, December 8th, The U.S. Conference of Mayors held a press conference on Capitol Hill with House Ways and Means Committee Chair Charlie Rangel (NY) and House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair James Oberstar (MN) to release its report that inventories local ‘ready-to-go’ infrastructure projects. Attached is the second installment of this report, in which 427 cities report a total of 11,391 infrastructure projects costing a total of $73 billion that would create 847,641 jobs.
Click here to view the full report.
Auto Bailout Loan Package
On Wednesday, December 10th the House passed the Auto Industry Financing and Restructuring Act, HR 7321, by a vote of 237-170. The purpose of the act was to provide loan assistance to the Big Three automakers. With the backing of the White House and Congressional Democrats, the Senate hoped to secure $14 billion in loan assistance. However, on Thursday, December 11th the bill failed to pass the Senate by a 52-35 vote because of labor’s refusal to lower their costs to that of foreign companies operating in the United States by the end of 2009.
AP’s list for contenders for Labor and Education Secretaries.
LABOR SECRETARY
Ed McElroy, former President of the American Federation of Teachers.
Linda Chavez-Thompson, former AFL-CIO Vice President.
Mary Beth Maxwell, Executive Director of American Rights at Work.
Maria Echaveste, former Clinton White House Adviser.
Gov. Jennifer Granholm, D-Mich.
EDUCATION SECRETARY
Arne Duncan, Chief Executive Officer of Chicago public schools.
Michael Bennet, Superintendent of Denver public schools.
Jon Schnur, Founder and Chief Executive of New Leaders for New Schools.
Paul Vallas, Superintendent of Recovery School District in New Orleans.
Linda Darling-Hammond, Education Professor at Stanford University.
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