Congressman Faleomavaega today announced that a jobs bill proposal was delivered in President Obama’s speech before the joint session of Congress last night, September 8, 2011.  It is estimated that the President’s proposed bill will provide about $447 billion in spending for various programs that are especially designed to put millions of Americans back to work. 

The President wants to provide more jobs for teachers, construction workers, and military veterans through the proposed American Jobs Act (AJA).  The proposal provides for tax cuts to help America’s small businesses, while putting Americans back to work.   

“Approximately, $25 billion in school infrastructure funds will be provided to modernize about 35,000 public schools, which includes priority for rural schools.  Also, an additional $15 billion will be invested to rehabilitate and refurbish hundreds of thousands of vacant and foreclosed homes and businesses.  And, $50 billion will be used to modernize our nation’s roads, highways, bridges and other infrastructure development,” Faleomavaega said. 
 
“To help keep teachers working, $30 billion will be provided to help states prevent layoffs of up to 280,000 teachers.  An additional, $5 billion will be invested to ensure police officers and firefighters will not lose their jobs.”
 
“The AJA will also provide tax credits of up to $5,600 for businesses that hire unemployed veterans who have been looking for a job for more than six months and tax credits up to $9,600 for hiring unemployed workers with service-connected disabilities who have been looking for a job for more than six months.”

“I will be working closely with my colleagues in the Congress to ensure that American Samoa will receive its fair share of benefits from this proposal.  Now it is up to Congress to either reject the proposal or work with President Obama to get it passed.  I am certain members of our Democratic Party are fully supportive of this important initiative by the President,” concluded Faleomavaega.