Putting Americans Back to Work
December 08, 2009
During a speech at the Brookings Institute Tuesday morning, President Barack Obama made it clear that restoring job growth and putting people back to work continues to be a top priority of his administration.
AFSCME President Gerald W. McEntee praised the plan:
“President Obama set out a bold initiative today to put Americans back to work. The President outlined an ambitious plan to build on the proven success of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to protect and create jobs and build a strong and vibrant economy. President Obama understands that the loss of a job is more than a statistic, it is a human tragedy. That is why his commitment to extending unemployment and health insurance for those who are out-of-work is so important. I was also pleased to hear the President’s commitment to ensure that state and local governments get the help they need to save the jobs of workers who are providing essential public services during this deep economic crisis. We will be working to help President Obama win this crucial fight for America’s families and communities.”
Among Obama’s proposals:
- Extending relief to those hit hardest by the economic crisis, including unemployment insurance and COBRA benefits.
- Incentives to homeowners to invest in energy efficiency for their homes.
- Incentives to small businesses to help them hire new workers, as well as using funds from the Troubled Asset Relief Programs (TARP) to increase lending to small businesses.
- Aid to states ands localities to help them provide needed services.
- Boosting funding to infrastructure projects, including rail, water systems, broadband networks, clean energy projects and bridges.
Read the full text of President Obama's remarks.
