Date: 2010-07-29
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

I was listening to the gentleman from Florida. and I want to thank him for framing the discussion as he has done. and really speaking to our colleagues and the American people. I was trying to discern what my colleague was saying. good friend from the other side of the aisle. And I would only say that the only people that are shaking their heads are those who are trying to pay their mortgages. who are trying to make sure that their incoming freshman or upper classman has the tuition that they need to finish school. Yeas Nays Pres NV Republican ...................................... 211 Americans are asking us to stop the chatter about procedures and begin to do the work that they need to rebuild this Nation. Thats the business of this Democratic leadership. of which I am proud to associate with. My friends talk about the story of the Recovery Act. and they are absolutely right. Weve been so busy with our elbow to the grindstone that we havent been able to tell the story of the many. many jobs created by the Recovery Act. But watch us in the month of August. when we go home and shine the light on the many. many jobs. In the 18th Congressional District. over $800 million. 97 projects. jobcreating. bridgemaking programs to help those in that district. So today we take another leap of faith. And I hope that we can get an understanding about what this bill does. The bill closes the loopholes. something Americans are very clear about. that are given to corporations to take jobs overseas. If they can do their business here. they need to do it. But in the meantime. what do we give you? First of all. we all know that the government cannot use all the dollars that are issued. When you give money to State and local governments. what do they do? They contract with small businesses in that community who then either keep the employees they have or they expand and need to hire. And let me give you an example. Build America Bonds is part of this legislation. an exciting way to invest in America. More than $106 billion of infrastructure investments nationwide will come about because of this. It will not be government workers that will be nailing and cementing and designing. it will be local businesses that will be part of this exciting opportunity. Recovery Zone Bonds that will provide $10 billion in Recovery Zone Economic Development Bonds and $15 billion in Recovery Zone Facility Bonds. all having to bring in small businesses. In my own community of Houston. we are looking at ways to improve our water and sewer. Most communities have aging water systems and sewer systems. There has usually been a cap on how much money a State can spend on water and sewage. We are lifting those caps so that bonds can be issued so that the burden does not fall right away on the taxpayer. These are what we are trying to do to infuse capital not in the pockets of the government. but in the pockets of our businesses that will in turn reinvest in the community and in the government by way of the general churning of the economy. Building. expanding. improving the quality of life that is necessary. Those who are in need of TANF would be helped. Those who are in need of the expansion of business will be helped. And then what I think is enormously important. we will be investing in real American jobs because we will extend the Emergency Fund for Job Creation and Assistance. These programs provide for shortterm. onetime aid for needy families. and subsidized employment programs help these families put money back into the economy. So I would argue that we can chatter about procedure. and thats a good talk for inside this august body.