John Garamendi on Welfare & Poverty

Broaden the availability of food stamps

More generally speaking, encouraging wellness-focused lifestyles among our seniors creates healthier, happier lives. Services must be available to keep our seniors physically fit and mentally active, and science-based nutrition should be promoted.

Public jobs on community-based public interest projects.

CONGRESSIONAL SUMMARY:
• There is established in the Department of Labor a New Economy Grant Program to provide grants for the creation of new jobs on specific public works projects carried out by State or local governments, and community-based public interest projects carried out by nonprofit organizations.
• Specific Project Grants- From the amounts made available, set aside an amount for each State based on the population of and relative unemployment rate.
• Entities eligible for a direct grant under this section include the following:
  - STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS that demonstrate an ability to promptly hire new employees for work on specific public works projects.
  - NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS- Community-based nonprofit organizations that demonstrate an ability to promptly hire and effectively manage new employees for work on specific projects.
• Such projects must be ready to commence work no later than 2 months after receiving a grant, and new positions of employment on such projects must be for a period of not less than 6 months.

SPONSOR'S INTRODUCTORY REMARKS:

Rep. HARE: The unemployed don't want another benefits check. They want a job. H.R. 4290 would tackle this problem by creating and helping retain millions of jobs. It will reach that goal by investing $60 billion per year over 3 years in TARP money.

• First, it would invest heavily in the creation of a new economy grant program.
• Secondly, it would provide a direct line of funding to states and localities to help alleviate their financial woes.
• Further, my bill would provide much-needed funding to our Nation's schools to protect our teachers and hire more to meet the needs of our children.
• The final piece of this bill is a direct line of funding to our national forests and national parks to address some of their many high-needs projects that have been neglected for decades.