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“BENEFITS OF THE ECONOMIC STIMULUS PACKAGE” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Transportation was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H2912-H2913 on March 3, 2009.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
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BENEFITS OF THE ECONOMIC STIMULUS PACKAGE
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Dahlkemper). Under a previous order of the House, the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) is recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Let me thank the Speaker for her leadership and the opportunity to address my colleagues on what I think is a very important topic.
Of course, first I wish to wish my great State of Texas happy independence day, March 2, 2009, which was yesterday, and celebrate the courage of those fighters who declared their independence from Mexico. Texans are an independent bunch, but we are a patriotic bunch and we love this country, and I believe it is important to address the leadership that sits just a few blocks away that is attempting to take this Nation to another level of economic empowerment and change.
It is important, Madam Speaker, to articulate more clearly the purposes of the economic stimulus package and the bankruptcy bill that will come to this floor in just a couple of days. Both of those bills respond to the needs of the average working American. It is important to note that the economic stimulus package has no earmarks and it is to generate jobs and those jobs are to be in the private sector.
Over the last 2 weeks, Madam Speaker, I have sat down in my school districts speaking to each superintendent asking them to establish an economic stimulus task force that would ensure that the dollars that would come through this stimulus package would be, first of all, used to educate our children; would be limited in its use for administrative costs; would be focusing on saving teachers' jobs or creating teachers' jobs; would focus on Title I; and would help modernize schools and hire contractors who would then hire people who are out of work in the private sector. School districts typically don't build or modernize their schools. Those are jobs, $10 billion in the stimulus package.
Recently I have walked through unemployment offices to focus on getting job training dollars so that people could alter their careers and be able to be prepared for the 21st century workplace, such as being prepared for the green jobs that are also part of the economic stimulus package. Weatherization, $5 billion for weatherization of our buildings and homes both in the cold weather and the hot weather. Those are jobs, Madam Speaker, that have not been created before. They are not jobs in the government. They are jobs in the private sector.
Madam Speaker, I went on to meet with the Texas Department of Transportation to ensure that contracts are shovel-ready; that new small businesses and minority businesses and women-owned businesses are being hired, that they are able to be proud of what they put on the Web site and that they actually do create jobs.
Just yesterday, I met with the mayor of Houston, the fourth largest city in the Nation, and the department heads, seeking creatively how we can enhance and beautify distressed areas, depressed areas, both in rural and urban areas, which was the purpose of the President's desire.
By the way, Madam Speaker, I can tell you that earmarks should not be labeled as being fraudulent. They should be transparent. They are not an added expenditure of dollars. They are simply allowing the people of the district, the State of Texas, the State of New York or Mississippi or Georgia or California to be able to assess where those moneys can be used more effectively. But we don't have any earmarks in the stimulus package.
The bankruptcy bill, which has been much maligned in certain areas, and I am very glad we are coming together to think together, is really a bill that responds to the little person, the person who was responsible, the person who really feels that bankruptcy may in fact be a shameful thing to do, but are working every day trying to make ends meet. They are making their payments, but they are falling behind as they try to make those payments.
What it does is it allows a judge to assess whether that person is able to more effectively keep their house if they are able to cram down the amount of the mortgage. But what happens, Madam Speaker, is that if that house is ultimately sold, any profit goes back to the lender. Where is the help for the little guy? Where is the help for the struggling homeowner and American who works every day? It is the bankruptcy court. That will not be a free ride.
In addition, I hope to offer legislation that indicates that if a buyer was manipulated with an adjustable rate or predatory lending, that their missteps in their mortgage, that their faltering, does not impact their credit score, which then ends their ability to be part of the economic resurgence that will come about over the next couple of months and years as we begin to see the economic stimulus package work.
This is not a tough task. I voted against the TARP originally. Money is being given to big banks. But what I believe is we have got to recapitalize our markets and restore our housing market.
Madam Speaker, we are on the right path. Let's do it in unity. Let's not forgets the hard-working Americans who now need to have their day by passing the bankruptcy bill and making sure the stimulus package works.
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