Economy and Jobs

The economic situation faced by our nation presented one of the greatest challenges since the Great Depression. I am humbled and honored to serve the 25th District of New York in this critical moment in history, as we strive to reshape our economy and to lead our nation back to prosperity.

My goal in Congress is to improve the 25th District of New York by bringing jobs to the region and increasing our economic growth. I am extremely proud to be a leader in the fight to save small local businesses and auto dealerships, which often face forced, arbitrary closure. Small businesses are vital to our communities, providing valuable services and essential sources of employment, and improving the neighborhoods in which we live. If our nation is going to lift itself out of this recession, we need entrepreneurs to start growing again. 

I am proud that on of my first acts in Congress was to vote for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which began the difficult process of reviving our economy and improving it for future generations. Our swift action in passing H.R. 1 will help to ensure a speedy recovery from the severe recession we were facing, and will expedite economic growth through the United States. Of course, the recovery bill is only part of a solution involving monetary and fiscal policy and private sector reforms, all of which Congress is currently debating.

What Congress Has Done

• The House passed H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, on January 28, 2009. The bill was signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009. H.R. 1 will provide relief to our community with $800 billion worth of spending and tax cuts, including $27.5 billion for highway construction, $17.7 billion for transit and rail modernization, $16.5 billion for federal and other public infrastructure energy-saving projects, and $18.8 billion for clean water, flood control, and environmental restoration investments. This legislation will create jobs, improve our nation's infrastructure, and give our economy the boost it needs.
• The House passed H.R. 2352, the Job Creation Through Entrepreneurship Act, on May 20, 2009, by a vote of 406 to 15. If enacted, this legislation would reauthorize programs designed to support small business owners. I was happy to vote in favor of the bill’s passage

What I Have Done

• I secured millions of dollars in federal funding for our area including
  • $7 million in defense contracts for local businesses which produce cutting edge products that protect our service men and women
  • $2.7 million for the 174th Fighter Wing
  • $1 million for upgrades to our local rail system so High-Speed Rail can become a reality across Upstate New York
  • $500,00 for Syracuse CoE
  • $400,000 for SUNY-ESF
  • $300,000 for Say Yes to Education
  • $200,000 for the Syracuse Tech Garden
• To ensure that our region can access grant funds and jobs created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, I have designated Jason Chiesa, a full-time staff member in my Syracuse office, to help our community with the process. Jason has created a guidebook to detail potential funding opportunities for the 25th District. I encourage you to access the guide book and look at the map of local projects receiving funds from the Recovery on my website, www.house.gov/maffei. Syracuse has already received benefits and millions in funds because of the Recovery act, including: 
  • More than $3 million for funding the COPS program, which will bring 14 additional police officers to Syracuse
  • $7 million to the Syracuse VA Hospital for repairs and upgrades
  • $2 million for Home HeadQuarters Inc 
  • Extended unemployment benefits
  • Tax cuts for working families
  • Up to $8,000 tax rebates for first-time home buyers
  • More than $300,000 to SUNY Medical Upstate
  • Tens of millions of dollars for local road construction projects
• I introduced H.R. 2743, the Automobile Dealer Economic Rights Restoration Act, on June 8, 2009. To date, the Act has well over 200 co-sponsors in the House, and is currently pending before the House Committee on Financial Services. If enacted, the bill would preserve General Motors and Chrysler car dealers’ rights to recourse under state law. It would require that auto manufacturers have an ownership interest, in which the federal government is a lender, and it would continue to honor commitments prior to the economic crisis. All these measures will help to preserve small businesses and jobs across our region.
• I introduced an amendment to H.R.2187, the 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act, to expand job opportunities for at-risk youths. The bill gives us a chance to upgrade our school buildings and boost student achievement while creating good local jobs in new, clean energy industries. The Maffei Amendment will give opportunities to local institutions, like Onondaga Community College and the Job Corps program, to utilize federal funding for their programs, which train students and at-risk-youth to be a part of our new, green workforce. The House passed the bill on May 14, 2009, by a vote of 275 to 155. The bill was then sent to the Senate, where it is currently pending before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.