Congressman Paul Tonko today voted in favor of a jobs bill that will provide $26.1 billion in expanded education and Medicaid assistance to states, saving an estimated 319,000 jobs nationwide. The bill is fully paid for, mostly through closing tax loopholes that encourage corporations to move jobs overseas, and will close the deficit by $1.4 billion over the next decade.  The bill passed by a vote of 247-161.

The bill means $607 million in additional education aid for New York State, which will help save the jobs of 8,200 teachers. It also includes $2.2 billion in Federal Medicaid assistance to New York that will be paid out over the next two years. This Medicaid funding will prevent the layoffs of police officers, firefighters and private sector workers who supply services to state and local governments.

Congressman Tonko made the following statement after today’s vote:

“Today, I cast my vote in favor of jobs – jobs to teach our children, jobs to protect our communities and jobs to heal the sick – an estimated 319,000 jobs nationwide.

In New York alone, we are saving the jobs of 8,200 teachers…who will stay in the classroom to teach future leaders instead of standing in unemployment lines.

Many claim this spending will increase the size of the deficit. They are wrong. By closing tax loopholes that encourage large corporations to ship American jobs overseas, coupled with other programmatic cuts, this bill actually REDUCES the deficit by $1.4 billion over 10 years.

Many will also claim this is a partisan bill. Again, they are wrong. Earlier this year 42 Governors wrote to Congress seeking this assistance, including 26 Democrats and 16 Republicans. Still, Republicans in Congress are more focused on deficit enhancing tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans instead of economic recovery.

Our hard working middle income families and small businesses deserve better. I am committed to rebuilding our economy and creating jobs to move our country forward. Those on the other side of the aisle want to go back to the failed policies of the Bush administration that costs millions of Americans their jobs, home and live savings.

We have worked long and hard to dig our country out of this recession. While we are not completely out yet, this bill is another step moving America forward in the right direction.”

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