economic crisis

November 17, 2009 -- WASHINGTON -- Attorney General Eric Holder, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan, and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairwoman Mary Schapiro today announced that President Barack Obama has established by Executive Order an interagency Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force to strengthen efforts to combat financial crime.    » read more »

Senator has pushed for action to investigate and prosecute financial fraud

November 17, 2009 -- (WASHINGTON, D.C.) – U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) said today’s announcement that the Justice Department will ramp up efforts to crack down on financial fraud “is critical to bring these modern day bank-robbers to justice, necessary to restore confidence in our financial system, and I applaud the Department of Justice for taking this action.”

Dorgan has been pushing for increased investigations and prosecutions of those who wrongly profited from the financial collapse. In January, Dorgan introduced the Taxpayer Protection Act (S. 195), which would, among other things, investigate and prosecute financial fraud that contributed to the collapse of our financial markets.    » read more »

November 16, 2009 -- “As American families prepare to gather for Thanksgiving, we received an unsettling report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that found that hunger rose significantly last year. This trend was already painfully clear in many communities across our nation, where food stamp applications are surging and food pantry shelves are emptying.

It is particularly troubling that there were more than 500,000 families in which a child experienced hunger multiple times over the course of the year. Our children’s ability to grow, learn, and meet their full potential – and therefore our future competitiveness as a nation – depends on regular access to healthy meals.    » read more »

November 10, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown issued the following statement in response to Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd’s (D-CT) unveiling of the discussion draft of comprehensive financial reform legislation.

“Across the nation, middle class families like those in Loveland and Toledo and Painesville are still suffering from the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.

“We need regulatory reform to protect consumers from the bad actors in our financial system. Too many banks are reaping billions from overdraft and other banking fees, with consumers learning about the excessive charges afterwards.    » read more »

Proposal to Create a Sound Economic Foundation to Grow Jobs, Protect Consumers, Rein in Wall Street, End Too Big to Fail, Prevent Another Financial Crisis

November 10, 2009 -- Today Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd (D-CT) was joined by fellow committee members Jack Reed (D-RI), Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI), Jon Tester (D-MT), Mark Warner (D-VA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) to unveil a tough, bold bill to reform the way that our financial system is regulated.    » read more »

Funds to Boost Economy, Create Jobs and Protect Public Health

10/20/2009 -- (PHILADELPHIA - October 20, 2009) In a move that stands to create jobs, boost the local economy, and protect human health and the environment for the people in the District of Columbia, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today it has awarded more than $38.9 million to improve aging water infrastructure in the District.

This new infusion of money provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 will help the District Department of the Environment, and DC Water and Sewer Authority finance water projects that are essential to protecting public health and the environment.    » read more »

October 26, 2009 -- NEWARK, DE – Senators Tom Carper and Ted Kaufman (both D-Del.) and Governor Jack Markell, among others, announced today that the State of Delaware has reached the $1 billion mark for American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA, a.k.a. ‘stimulus’) funds committed to the State of Delaware. Gov. Markell also announced that nearly 1,000 jobs had been created over the last 8 months thanks to the Recovery Act funding.

“What an exciting announcement,” Sen. Carper said. “When I voted for the bill I hoped it would improve lives, create jobs, and help rebuild our economy. Stimulus funding has done all of those things and made a big difference in Delaware and I am excited about all of the opportunities.”    » read more »

October 27, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Honolulu will receive $5,347,598 to upgrade its electrical grid as part of an effort to reduce outage times, expand the energy efficient skill sets of employees, and retain jobs Senators Daniel K. Inouye and Daniel K. Akaka announced today.

"We've all experienced the chaos created by power outages, both big and small, and these funds will help modernize Oahu's aging electrical grid," said Senator Inouye. "These improvements should move us closer to a time when we aren't sitting in the dark very long when the grid goes down."

"This Recovery Act funding will allow Hawaiian Electric to invest in modern electrical grid improvements that will reduce power outages on Oahu while preserving jobs," said Senator Akaka.    » read more »

State Governments Expected to Credit Recovery Act with Creating, Saving At Least 250,000 Education Jobs Nationwide

October 19, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – The Obama Administration today announced that preliminary indications are that state governments will credit the Recovery Act with creating and saving at least 250,000 education jobs across the country when reports filed on Recovery Act education spending to-date are posted online later this month.

"This is one more indication of how the Recovery Act is helping soften the blow of tough times, by keeping educators on the job and teachers in the classroom," said Vice President Joe Biden.    » read more »

Governor Rendell Announces Application for $5 Million Federal Recovery Act Grant to Train, Place Health Care Workers

Oct. 19, 2009 -- Harrisburg – Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell today said the commonwealth’s application for a $5 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant will help provide training and placement services for approximately 1,430 Pennsylvanians seeking careers in health care.

“To help ensure that Pennsylvanians have access to the high-quality care they deserve, our workforce must have a greater number of highly skilled health care workers,” Governor Rendell said. “Health care is among our most important industries and it is adding jobs – even during this recession.”    » read more »

ARRA Funds Support Plans To Improve Drinking Water Quality in Evanston, Aurora, and McLean, Kendall, and Sangamon Counties

October 19, 2009 -- Illinois Governor Pat Quinn and Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Director Doug Scott announced grants and loans for environmental projects to improve wastewater quality in Illinois, using funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). The Recovery program was authorized earlier this year by the United States Congress and President Barack Obama.    » read more »

Introduces Forty New Hybrid Buses to the Area

October 19, 2009 -- Philadelphia, PA – Today, Congressman Joe Sestak (PA-07) took part in announcing the procurement of 40 new hybrid buses by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA).    » read more »

$400 Million Benefitting County; 55 Officer Positions Among Jobs Created

October 19, 2009 -- LARGO, MD - Senator Barbara Mikulski and Benjamin L. Cardin, and Representatives Steny H. Hoyer, Chris Van Hollen and Donna Edwards held a press conference today in Prince George's County to talk about how the federal Recovery Act is working to create jobs and invest in critical priorities.

Preliminary reporting information shows that, to date, county jurisdictions, businesses and federal facilities have been awarded at least $400 million in Recovery funds, which have gone to projects investing in transportation, clean water, education, workforce development, public safety and housing, among others.    » read more »

Hinchey, USDA Rural Development Announce $371,481 for Ten Local Farms to Install Solar Energy Systems,
Make Renewable Energy Upgrades

October 19, 2009 -- Milton, NY -- Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director Jill Harvey today visited Sunshine Orchards in Milton, New York to announce more than $371,481 in federal loans and grants for ten local farms to install solar energy systems and make other renewable upgrades that will enable them to dramatically cut their energy consumption.    » read more »