Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Donald M. Payne, senior member of the House Education and Labor Committee, today joined a majority in the House of Representatives in support of critical legislation to create and save 3 - 4 million American jobs.  The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was approved by a vote of 244 - 188.  Developed with the Obama Administration, this job creation package will rebuild America, making us more globally competitive and energy independent, and transforming our economy for long-term growth; give 95% of American workers an immediate tax cut; and invest quickly in the economy.

“Today, the House has taken the first step in delivering a plan to implement President Obama’s vision to get the economy back on track,” Payne stated.  “Action on this economic recovery package will create American jobs now, lay a foundation for long-term growth through clean energy, innovation and education, with strict accountability measures to ensure that taxpayers dollar are spent wisely and effectively. Passage of this economic package will mean real change by rebuilding America’s roads and bridges and providing a tax cut to 95 percent of American workers.  Now Congress must come together to act and finish the job of sending this job creation and economic recovery package to President Obama in short order.”

“America is facing an economic crisis greater than any since the Great Depression, with a staggering 2.6 million American jobs lost in the last year and an unemployment rate here in New Jersey that has climbed to 7.1%,” said Payne. 

This jobs and economic recovery plan contains targeted efforts in:
• Transforming Our Economy With Clean, Efficient, American Energy and Innovation and Technology that will create more than 1 million  jobs;
• Lowering Health Care Costs by funding aggressive adoption of health information technology, which will create hundreds of thousands of jobs, and Broadening Coverage by helping those who cannot afford health care in these tough times.;
• Modernizing Roads, Bridges, Transit and Waterways to create 1.5 million American jobs;
• Education for the 21st Century, including an increased Pell Grant for 136,419 students here in New Jersey and a higher education tax credit for an additional 77,000 students in our state so that they can stay in college despite these tough times;
• Tax Cuts of up to $1,000 to Make Work Pay for 2,977,000 families here in New Jersey and more than $20 billion for American businesses, large and small, to spur job creation;
• Helping Workers Hurt by the Economy, including 324,900 of New Jerseyians that are out of work, those who have lost their health care, and seniors; and
• Saving the Jobs of Teachers and Police Officers.

The Recovery Plan has unprecedented accountability measures built in—providing strong oversight, an historic degree of public transparency, and including no earmarks.

“We know it will take time to turn this economy around, but we are confident that this package will make our economy stronger than it would be without any action,” said Payne. “This jobs and recovery plan will create an estimated 171,390 jobs by the end of 2010 and reduce the unemployment rate by 2.1% here in New Jersey, according to leading independent economist Mark Zandi of Moody’s Economy.com.  To ensure that these job creation goals are met, the Obama Administration has pledged that 75% of these job creating investments will get into the economy in the next 18 months.”