Washington, D.C. -— U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-Lillington), the only North Carolina member of the House Ways and Means Committee, voted in favor of H.R. 3288, the “Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2010” which makes targeted investments to rebuild our economy.
The bill passed the House by a vote of 221-202.
“My number one priority is rebuilding our economy and creating jobs in for North Carolinians,” Etheridge said. “This bill means jobs today, and prepares for jobs of the future by supporting education, innovation, and job training. This bill supports our families and communities, and makes targeted investments to grow our economy over the long-term.”
The Consolidated Appropriations Act increases funding for infrastructure, health, and education to create jobs immediately while investing in our local communities and workforce for the future. For example, this bill creates an estimated 1.5 million jobs by investing $41.8 billion in highway infrastructure in 2010, and provides funds to hire or retain 1,400 cops in 2010.The bill also makes significant investments in job training and education at all levels by providing $1.4 billion in training, education and support services for workers impacted by mass layoffs and plant closures.
Small businesses account for two-thirds of jobs in America, and this bill provides with additional credit for firms having trouble borrowing capital in this market. Public infrastructure is another critical piece of this legislation. America’s water systems, roads, schools, ports, and bridges allowed our country to prosper. H.R. 3288 affirms our commitment to invest in America and North Carolina’s economic recovery.
This bill continues our commitment to our troops. H.R. 3288 increases veterans’ funding for services to the men and women who served our country so bravely — including increases for mental health services, health care in rural areas and assistance to homeless veterans. It boosts funding for military construction in order to make sure our troops have all of the facilities they need to help keep our country safe, and supports the needs of military families. It also provides increased funding for state and local law enforcement to keep our communities safe here at home.
The bill funds government operations for Fiscal Year 2010; including the following six spending bills: Transportation-HUD; Labor-HHS-Education; Commerce-Justice-Science; Military Construction-Veterans Affairs; Financial Services; and State-Foreign Operations. (Five spending bills have previously been enacted into law.) The 12 FY 2010 spending bills are fiscally responsible — with funding $10 billion below the budget submitted by the President.