News
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Tuesday, May 5, 2009
More Than $587 Million in Recovery Funds now Available for Wisconsin to Save Jobs and Drive Reform
Application for Part 1 of Wisconsin's State Stabilization Funds Approved Today
U. S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced that more than $587 million is now available for Wisconsin under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. This funding will lay the foundation for a generation of education reform and help save hundreds of thousands of teaching jobs at risk of state and local budget cuts. Wisconsin will be eligible to apply for another $289 million this fall. Today's funding is being made available per Wisconsin's successful completion of Part 1 of the State Stabilization Application, which was made available on April 1st.
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Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Secretary Chu Announces Nearly $800 Million from Recovery Act to Accelerate Biofuels Research and Commercialization
New green jobs a benefit of effort to end dependence on foreign oil
WASHINGTON, D.C. — As part of the ongoing effort to increase the use of domestic renewable fuels, U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu today announced plans to provide $786.5 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to accelerate advanced biofuels research and development and to provide additional funding for commercial-scale biorefinery demonstration projects.
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Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Social Security Administration Inspector General Issues Report on Impact of State Employee Furloughs on the Social Security Administration's Disability Programs
The Social Security Administration (SSA) received $500 million in Recovery Act funds to address retirement and disability workloads. SSA fully funds the salaries and other costs of certain state employees who perform critical work in SSA's disability programs. However, because of the recent economic downturn, several states have furloughed employees -- including disability determination staff. The Office of Inspector General (OIG)'s report provides critical information on how furloughs of state disability determination employees will impact SSA's ability to process disability work. The OIG also notes that because fewer disability decisions will be made in states that have furloughed disability determination staff, there will be a negative impact on the flow of money in the U.S. economy. As such, the OIG's report informs Agency decision makers on where to assign Recovery Act funds to the various state disability determination offices.
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Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Social Security Administration Inspector General Issues Report on the Social Security Administration's Ability to Address Future Processing Requirements
The Social Security Administration (SSA) received $500 million in Recovery Act funds to build a new National Computer Center. The current National Computer Center houses the infrastructure that supports the Social Security programs provided to the public and other services provided to federal, state, international and private agencies. The design and age of the National Computer Center, as well as the increasing workload due to the retirement of the baby boom generation, have raised concerns about SSA's ability to address future processing requirements. The report provides information on SSA's response to critical deficiencies that need to be addressed immediately at the current National Computer Center, as well as issues the Agency should consider when defining its strategy for using Recovery Act funds for the new computer center.
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Friday, May 1, 2009
Recovery Act Providing Special Extended Unemployment Benefits
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act), signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009, contains a number of provisions that affect railroad retirement annuitants and railroad workers. Among other provisions, this Act provides up to 13 weeks of special extended unemployment benefits for certain railroad workers who exhaust their rights to the benefits normally provided under the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA). The following questions and answers provide information about these special extended unemployment benefits.
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