Unemployment

November 13, 2009 -- SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, Congresswoman Doris O. Matsui (D-Sacramento) addressed a large crowd of students, faculty and community members at the Sacramento State Alumni Center, covering a variety of federal issues and outlining her priorities of the last year. Rep. Matsui also gave an update on the local impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which is making the largest alternative energy investments in our nation’s history, and helping to propel Sacramento as a clean-tech capital. Matsui’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, are below:    » read more »

12 November 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – In the nine months since the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was signed into law, rural communities across the country have found the federal bureaucracy is a serious obstacle to their receiving funding. Representative Ann Kirkpatrick is fighting to address this challenge and ensure the Recovery Act works as effectively as possible for our small towns. She is leading a national group of Members of Congress in sending a letter to Vice-President Joe Biden today, asking him to explain what is being done to assist rural America.    » read more »

12 November 2009 -- Washington, D.C.— Today, Congressman Brian Baird (D-WA-03) announced $2.4 million in federal funding is coming to the Cascades Volcano Observatory to improve public safety throughout the Pacific Northwest. The funding will be used to upgrade volcano monitoring systems at the center. This will allow scientists to detect potential eruptions more quickly, and give the public more advance warning of a volcanic event. The money comes from the U.S. Geological Survey as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).    » read more »

Senators say returning soldiers' unemployment rate too high and say benefits should include apprenticeship and job training, not just college

November 12, 2009 -- (Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, along with Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Mike Johanns (R-NE), today introduced the Post-9/11 Veterans’ Job Training Act to include job training and apprenticeship opportunities for veterans who have served our country since the attacks of September 11, 2001.    » read more »

November 13, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded a $2,475,900 Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) to McHenry County through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to help improve energy efficiency, reduce energy use and fossil fuel emissions, and create jobs locally.

“Creating jobs and securing the future of our planet are two of the aims of the Recovery Act,” said Durbin. “This funding will make a significant investment in the effort to reduce the carbon footprint of residents and businesses in the Chicagoland area, while creating the good-paying jobs that will drive our economy in the years to come.”    » read more »

Seasonally Adjusted Data

November 12, 2009 -- In the week ending Nov. 7, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 502,000, a decrease of 12,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 514,000. The 4-week moving average was 519,750, a decrease of 4,500 from the previous week's revised average of 524,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 4.3 percent for the week ending Oct. 31, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 4.4 percent.    » read more »

November 10, 2009 -- OLYMPIA, WA – The National Telecommunications and Information Administration announced that Washington state will receive a grant of approximately $2.2 million to fund broadband mapping and planning activities under the State Broadband Data and Development Grant Program.

The program enables collection of data to show which areas of each state are in the most need of increased broadband infrastructure and adoption. The data collected will be used to create an interactive and searchable map for use by the public with information such as where broadband service is available and at what speeds, and the type of technology used.    » read more »

Nov. 10, 2009 -- Harrisburg – Beginning Nov. 22, Pennsylvanians who are out of work through no fault of their own may be eligible to receive up to 20 additional weeks of emergency unemployment compensation, Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell said today.

“This latest round of federally funded benefits provides a badly needed financial lifeline to more than 35,000 Pennsylvania families who have exhausted their benefits and need to pay for food, shelter, utilities and other necessities as they seek to rejoin the workforce,” said Governor Rendell.    » read more »

Recovery Act funds will help save and create over 90 jobs in rural Oregon

Nov. 10, 2009 -- (Salem) – Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski today announced a $4.89 million federally-funded economic recovery grant from Business Oregon to the Ochoco Lumber Company of John Day. The funding will construct a wood pellet fuel facility, helping support the retention of 80 full-time jobs and creating 11 new ones in the community.

The grant opportunity was made possible by the U.S. Forest Service and funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act). Malheur National Forest officials worked in conjunction with Business Oregon staff to make the pellet fuel project possible.    » read more »

Additional 35,000 kids on track to register in state health insurance program

November 10, 2009 -- LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear joined Congressman John Yarmuth and Mayor Jerry Abramson today to announce that new federal stimulus money will help enroll more children in Jefferson County in the Kentucky Children’s Health Insurance Program (KCHIP). One year ago, Gov. Beshear launched a plan to enroll 35,000 KCHIP-eligible children by summer 2010 – a goal the state expects to meet by the end of 2009, six months ahead of schedule.    » read more »

November 10, 2009 -- AMES – Iowa Governor Chet Culver announced that the Iowa Transportation Commission today approved a Revitalize Iowa’s Sound Economy (RISE) Local Development grant application submitted by the city of Grimes. The funding is part of the Culver/Judge Administration’s I-JOBS initiative.

“This transportation project in Grimes is part of our state’s work to recover from this nationwide recession,” Governor Culver said. “The I-JOBS transportation funds approved today are supporting infrastructure needs in the Grimes community, while helping to create good jobs for Iowans and build a brighter future for our state.”    » read more »

Honors Veterans at Los Angeles National Cemetery, Issues Proclamation for Veterans Day

11/11/2009 -- Honoring the service of California’s brave servicemen and women, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today visited the Los Angeles National Cemetery, where he spoke at the Veteran’s Day Program. While there he announced that $5 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) job training grants have been awarded by the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency (LWDA) ensuring that more than 1,400 former members of the military will receive job training, employment and mental health services, as part of the Governor’s continuing veteran’s jobs initiative.    » read more »

November 10, 2009 -- To reduce healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in stand-alone or same-day surgical centers, the HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced the availability of up to $9 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to state survey agencies in 43 states. HAIs are infections some patients acquire when they are in a health care setting such as a hospital or outpatient clinic.    » read more »

November 10, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. -- United States Senator Roland W. Burris today announced that $98,351.00 in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) are being allocated to the State of Illinois to combat and reduce health care associated infections (HAIs). HAIs are infections some patients acquire when they are in a health care setting such as a hospital or outpatient clinic.

Senator Burris and the Democratic-led Congress passed the 2009 American Reinvestment and Recovery Act that was signed into law by President Obama in February.    » read more »

Executive Order: Employment of Veterans in the Federal Government

November 9, 2009 -- By the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 301 of title 3 of the United States Code, I hereby order as follows:    » read more »