WASHINGTON (RushPRNews) 01/30/09-Following the historic inauguration of President Barack Obama, Congress is hard at work passing a recovery and reinvestment bill to heal our ailing economy, and ensuring that equal work is rewarded with equal pay.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

On Wednesday, the House took a vital step towards ensuring that our economy becomes strong again, by passing HR 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. With the unemployment rate hitting 9.3 percent in California, Congress is investing in tax cuts, education, health care, energy and transportation, all of which will create 3 to 4 million jobs, jumpstart our economy, and transform it for the 21st century.

As a result of the recovery act, the investments made in California will help stabilize the state’s finances and invest in priorities that will keep the economy strong. With more than $200 million set aside for child care in California, Congress is ensuring that working families do not disproportionally fall behind as parents are forced to work longer hours to make ends meet. The recovery act also includes provisions to ensure access to higher education by increasing college tax credits as well as the maximum amount for Pell Grants, which will affect 700,000 California students. As economic conditions become increasingly difficult, Congress is working to ensure that students still have the resources necessary to stay in school and gain the skills necessary to innovate and compete in the global economy.

The recovery act will now go to the Senate, where we hope for swift passage to ensure that American workers are protected from a turbulent economy that threatens to undermine the livelihoods of hard-working middle class families.

Watch My Floor Statement on the Economic Recovery Act

Protecting Workers from Discrimination in the Workplace
On Thursday, I was proud to join President Obama at the White House for the signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009. It is a fundamental belief in America that equal work must be rewarded with equal pay, and the Lilly Ledbetter Act strengthens protections already in place, by allowing workers that have been discriminated against to seek legal recourse within 180-days of their last pay check.

The Ledbetter Act sends an critical message during these troubling economic times that America is a land that respects hard work and does not stand by as workers are discriminated against or treated unfairly.

Feel free to forward this information to your family and friends. To learn more about these efforts, to express your views, or to sign up for email updates, please visit my Web site.

Sincerely,

Member of Congress

Washington, DC
235 Cannon HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-4965

District Office
450 Golden Gate Ave. – 14th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94102
Phone: (415) 556-4862