New budget impacting millions of children finds it’s way to the Congressional floor

On Wednesday, 10 August 2011, Illinois Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, announced the introduction of a budget outline which is aimed to create obs for some two million people. The “Emergency Jobs to Restore the American Dream Act,” as the plan has been titled,  if passed will cost $227 billion and be implemented over a two year period and subsequently push the unemployment rate back by 1.3%.  The Act if passed will be financed by separate legislation, the “Fairness in Taxation Act,” which was also introduced by Schakowsky, and would raise taxes for U.S. tax payers earning more than $1 million and $1 billion dollars.  The secondary Act would also eliminate subsidies for big oil companies while closing loopholes for corporations that send American jobs overseas.

The two pending Acts could make a vital impact on the lives of children across the country, as unemployment rates continue to rise for young people—in excess of 20%–and child poverty rates have risen to detrimental numbers as they surpass 20%.  If enacted, the legislation the 2.2 million jobs created by the Act will be heavily focused on rebuilding and strengthening communities, which will directly impact the lives of millions of children:

• The School Improvement Corps would create 400,000 construction and 250,000 maintenance jobs to do school rehabilitation improvements.
• The Park Improvement Corps would create 100,000 jobs for youth ages 16 to 25, through the Department of the Interior and the USDA Forest Service’s Public Lands Corps, to work on restorating natural, cultural, and historic resources.
• The Student Jobs Corps would creates 250,000 part-time jobs for college students through the Federal Work Study Program.
• The Neighborhood Heroes Corps would hire 300,000 teachers, 40,000 new police officers, and 12,000 firefighters.
• The Health Corps would hire 40,000 health care providers to expand services in underserved rural and urban areas.
• The Child Care Corps would create 100,000 jobs in early childhood care and education through Early Head Start.
• The Community Corps would hire 750,000 people to do needed work in communities, including housing rehab, weatherization, recycling, and rural conservation.

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