Click here to see a map of local Recovery Act projects in the 23rd District

We are in the midst of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.  Millions have lost their jobs, businesses are struggling to stay afloat, and stock market losses have endangered the retirement security of millions of Americans.  I believe we must move our economy in a New Direction that strengthens the middle-class and provides for responsible long-term growth and prosperity. 

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

One of the first acts of the 111th Congress was to pass the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (H.R. 1).  This historic legislation will jumpstart our economy by creating or saving up to 3.5 million jobs, cutting taxes for 95 percent of Americans and investing wisely in critical areas such as renewable energy and infrastructure.  The legislation includes no earmarks, and unprecedented oversight.  While it will take time to be fully implemented, the benefits of the Recovery Act are already being felt across the country. 

For more information about this legislation and its implementation, please visit www.Recovery.gov.  You can also visit www.Recovery.ca.gov to see how Recovery Act dollars are being spent in California. 

Unemployment

Unemployment has reached record highs, especially in California. Unemployment Insurance is an effective tool to help unemployed workers stay afloat while searching for a new job. During these tough times I believe additional measures are needed to help workers who have lost their jobs due to the recession. This is why I voted to create the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08) program, which provides up to 20 additional weeks of unemployment benefits, and supported the program’s extension in the American Recovery and Reinvestment and Reinvestment Act.

I also voted for the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act (H.R. 3548), which President Obama signed into law on November 6, 2009. This legislation provides families in all states with 14 weeks of additional benefits, and an additional six weeks of benefits for the unemployed living in the 27 states with the highest unemployment rates, including California. Workers in these high unemployment states who have exhausted or will soon exhaust their benefits will be eligible for a total of 20 additional weeks of emergency unemployment compensation.

Click here for more information on eligibility requirements and how to claim your unemployment benefits.

Increasing Access to Credit

One of the most far-reaching problems of the economic crisis has been the lack of credit available for small businesses and consumers.  Reacting to the sub-prime mortgage mess, banks and other sources credit suddenly stopped issuing new lines of credit.  While the credit freeze has begun to thaw, it is an ongoing problem that has only exacerbated the ongoing recession by forcing businesses to cut jobs and consumers to cut back on spending. 

The economy cannot recover until the flow of credit is restored.  I support aggressive and responsible measures, such as those in President Obama’s Financial Stability Plan, to get the credit markets working again.