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Washington, D.C.— Today, Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.), a member of the Joint Economic Committee, released the following statement in response to the Senate’s approval of the Economic Recovery Act by a vote of 61-37:
“This afternoon, my colleagues in the Senate came together and passed a critical piece of legislation at one of the most critical moments in our nation’s history. With every moment that this economic recovery legislation is left unsigned, more people will lose their jobs, their homes, their health coverage, and—in many cases—their hope. The time to act is now, and this is a great step forward in bringing relief to the millions of Americans who are drowning in the effects of our struggling economy.
“This legislation is by no means perfect, and I am concerned that some very important and extremely relevant expenditures were reduced or cut from the original bill passed by the House of Representatives last week. Cutting aid for state governments in financial crises will not get us back on track and will not help keep essential services in tact. Cutting spending on the construction of schools to prepare our children for the future will not restore our economy and will not create additional construction jobs. Taking away funds aimed at assisting the record number of unemployed Americans and at helping families buy food will not provide the relief that our nation so desperately needs. I sincerely hope that the funding levels for these projects will be restored to the original amounts allocated in the House-passed version of this bill.
“I am committed to working with the Obama administration, as well as with my colleagues in both the House and Senate, to ensure that we are able to quickly produce a final piece of legislation that provides relief to those who truly need it while making sound investments toward recovering our economy.”
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