Washington, DC - Congressman John D. Dingell (D-MI15), made the following remarks today on the House floor on H.R. 2847, the “Jobs for Main Street Act.”  H.R. 2847 passed the House by a vote of 217 to 212.

“MADAM SPEAKER: I rise today to offer my unequivocal support for H.R. 2847, the Jobs for Main Street Act.  As a federal representative from the state of Michigan, I can attest to the hardship facing my constituents, and others across the state, as a direct result of unemployment.  This legislation will build off the progress made by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and create jobs quickly through projects needed by the community such as new roads, water facilities, and by protecting the jobs we have in the fields of education and law enforcement.

“H.R. 2847 is legislation that will greatly help the 15th District in Michigan.  There is no question that Michigan has been hit the hardest and the earliest by this economic recession, leading unemployment across the country for months, which is now almost 15 percent.  Yet this does not tell the full story.  Since 2000, Michigan has lost over 800,000 jobs, roughly one in every six, and in Detroit alone 45 percent of working-age adults are unemployed.  Combine this with the fact that for every job opening about six people are applying, and you can see why the workers in Michigan are facing a perfect storm.

“This legislation will help to calm this storm by investing in public works projects that will create new jobs, setting aside $48 billion for rebuilding our roads and bridges, modernizing public buildings, constructing new water facilities, and building and preserving affordable rental houses.  We will also help to save or create jobs in our public schools, our police and fire departments, while training workers in growing fields such as health care and alternative energy or “green” fields.  

“Further, this legislation will extend emergency unemployment benefits through June 2010, and extend and expand the COBRA subsidy through June and expand the months of help from 9 months to 15 months.  These changes will help the nearly one million workers exhausting their unemployment benefits by January and the hundreds of thousands of workers who have already begun rolling off the COBRA subsidy program.

“It is imperative that both the House and the Senate pass H.R. 2847 quickly.  This legislation is not a hand out; rather it is an immediate injection into local economies across the country.  It is funding America families will use to keep their heat on this Christmas, to pay their mortgage for the next few months, and keep their health insurance through the summer.  Quite frankly this funding is a crutch until these workers can find their next job, or complete the training they need for a second career.  

“Madam Speaker, after spending this summer bailing out Wall Street, it is time that we help Main Street.  I urge my colleagues to reiterate their support to the American families in need and vote in favor of H.R. 2847.  Thank you.”