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Urgent Need For Obama Jobs and Economic Recovery Plan Clear as Unemployment Soars to 7.2 Percent and
Campaign for Jobs and Economic Recovery Now: “All Eyes Are On Congress to Swiftly Move Forward Obama Recovery Plan to Create Millions of Jobs, Stabilize the Economy and Lift Up America’s Middle Class Families”
Washington, DC - The need for major and immediate action to address the worst economic crisis in decades was underscored today with the latest U.S. Labor Department unemployment report showing 524,000 more Americans lost their jobs in December -- bringing the year end total to a staggering 2.6 million. The national unemployment rate also climbed to a 16 year high of 7.2 percent. The Campaign for Jobs and Economic Recovery Now, a coalition of more than 20 leading labor and progressive groups, said the sobering jobless report is only the tip of the iceberg for an economy deeply steeped in recession if Congress does not swiftly pass a major jobs and economic recovery package, as outlined by President-Elect Barack Obama. Obama's plan will create or save at least three million jobs, strengthen our middle class, and improve the economy in the near and long term by making sound investments in health care, energy efficiency, transportation and schools.
Brad Woodhouse, President of Americans United for Change: "With the U.S. economy sliding further and further into recession, waiting out this economic storm is simply not an option. A stunning 2.6 million jobs disappeared last year, and if nothing is done and done soon, millions more American jobs are at stake. With the economic news continuing to get worse, there is no time to spare to turn our economy around. Efforts by some to slow down the passing of President Elect Obama's major jobs and economic recovery package could not be more misguided and inappropriate considering the dire situation the economy continues to face - a point underscored with the news today that unemployment is now at an alarming 7.2 percent. It is time to put the nation ahead of politics and ideology and support President-Elect Obama's economic recovery plan that will create or save 3 million jobs through solid and sound long-term investments in health care, energy efficiency, transportation and education."
Launched on December 18th with nearly 50 events from coast to coast, the Campaign for Jobs and Economic Recovery is a coalition of more than 20 leading progressive groups and unions utilizing all the resources and techniques of a modern campaign to pass the Obama plan. From grassroots and grass tops contacts, to phones, emails, web videos and paid advertising - this $4-5 million campaign aims to pressure key and potentially deciding votes in Congress and to build a movement for an overwhelming victory for this package so that the American people have confidence in the plan and its ability to help turn our economy around.
More than 20 leading progressive organizations and unions with millions of members have signed onto run a major campaign to pass a significant jobs and economic recovery package to create millions of jobs and help the economy grow in the near and long term. To date, the following organizations have signed on the Campaign for Jobs and Economic Recovery Now: AFSCME, SEIU, AFLCIO, NEA, Americans United for Change, USAction, Campaign for America's Future, ACORN, Health Care for America Now, Sierra Club, People for the American Way Foundation, National Women's Law Center, TrueMajority.org, Young Democrats of America, 21st Century Democrats, Community Action Partnership, Institute for Policy Studies - Cities for Progress, Progressive Future , National Priorities Project , Cities for Progress, Progressive Future,Working Group on Extreme Inequality, YWCA USA , Economic Policy Institute, Women's Voices. Women's Vote Action Fund and the League of Conservation Voters.
Lauren Weiner | 01.09.09 | | Link to this post
JOBS AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY: USACTION, AFFILIATES LAUNCH NATIONWIDE EFFORT TARGETING KEY LAWMAKERS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan. 8, 2009
WASHINGTON, D.C. - USAction and its state affiliates are mobilizing over the next four days to "meet and greet" members of Congress as they head to their home districts this weekend.
State affiliates are setting up meetings with members of Congress and their staffs; holding press conferences; engaging in letter- and op-ed-writing campaigns; and telling the stories of people whose lives have been turned upside down due to the worst economic crisis in 70 years.
Virtually every USAction affiliate is taking steps to publicize the need for jobs and economic recovery legislation. USAction has affiliates and partners in 25 states: Arizona, Connecticut, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
"We need jobs now so that America can work again," said USAction Program Director Alan Charney. "We need a plan that is big, bold and broad. We must address basic infrastructure issues as well as clean energy and health care if we are serious about repairing our economy and putting people back to work."
"Every target - moderate Democrats and moderate Republicans - in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate in every USAction State will be hearing from us," Charney added. "We need Congress and the incoming administration of President-Elect Obama to invest now so that we can guarantee security, opportunity and prosperity for our communities and our families."
Lauren Weiner | 01.08.09 | | Link to this post
Boston Globe: Groups plan rallies promoting Obama plan
"These grassroots rallies for jobs and economic recovery taking place all across the county this week aim to amplify President-Elect Obama's efforts in Washington today and to keep the pressure on key and potentially deciding votes for his recovery package in Congress. We hope every member of Congress resolved this New Year to put the nation ahead of politics and ideology and will support President-Elect Obama's economic recovery plan that will create or save 3 million jobs through solid and sound long-term investments in health care, energy efficiency, transportation and education," Brad Woodhouse, president of Americans United for Change, said in a statement.
The rallies will be from Florida to Washington state, and mostly on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The coalition, which is spending $4 million to $5 million on a campaign backing Obama, includes major labor groups such as AFSCME, SEIU, and the AFL-CIO; environmental groups such as the Sierra Club and League of Conservation Voters; and assorted other liberal-left organizations.
Lauren Weiner | 01.08.09 | | Link to this post
STATEMENT BY MAYOR MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG ON PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA’S SPEECH ON THE ECONOM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 8, 2009
STATEMENT BY MAYOR MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG ON PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA’S SPEECH ON THE ECONOMY
“The President-elect wisely invited mayors from our nation’s largest cities to attend this important address and I was proud to attend and represent New York City. He gave a great speech and understands our cities have to be a central focus of any recovery plan. This was the opening salvo of a long, difficult battle to reform the way this country spends money and to get the economy moving again. He understands he is going to have to lead the charge and it is not going to get done without both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue and both sides of the aisle working together.
“The President-elect said we have no choice but to invest in infrastructure, something Governors Schwarzenegger, Rendell and I have been championing for some time. This country has a long history of success in that area – Lincoln focused on the railroads, Jefferson worked on the canals, Roosevelt invested in municipal buildings and airports, and Eisenhower created a national highway system. Those investments gave us the structure we needed to go forward for decades. And I have made the case to his incoming administration that a lot of the resources have to go directly to the cities, which is where these projects will get managed and built.
“However we invest our resources in a stimulus plan, we have to ensure we are making smart investments and that we get real, lasting, tangible returns. A study released today by Build America’s Future, our infrastructure coalition, shows it’s crystal clear the public wants strong accountability in any package, and that is a good place to start any plan.”
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Lauren Weiner | 01.08.09 | | Link to this post
Minnesota Kicks off the Jobs and Economic Recovery Now! Campaign
Bernie Hess, Political Director for UFCW Local 789
Denise Cardinal, Alliance for a Better MN
David Snyder, Community Organizer, Jewish Community Action
Donald McFarland, Americans United for Change
Lauren Weiner | 12.22.08 | | Link to this post
Columbus, OH draws attention to the Jobs and Economic Recovery Plan
Lauren Weiner | 12.22.08 | | Link to this post
Media coverage of campaign announcement
The Hill: Progressives pressure Congress to pass stimulus
CQ: Labor and Green Groups Launch Effort for Stimulus
Washington Times: Coalition to lobby for stimulus plan
AP: Obama team weighs up to $850 billion economic jolt
The Atlantic Blog: Democratic Interest Groups Join To Press For Obama Economic Plan
WSJ: Obama Team Aims to Keep Stimulus Under $1 Trillion
The Hill Blog: Liberal Groups form Behemoth to Back Stimulus
Web Team | 12.18.08 | | Link to this post
Campaign for Jobs and Economic Recovery kicks off
Americans literally from coast-to-coast stood up today to support President-Elect Obama's plan to create jobs and spur long-term economic recovery.In DC, Americans United for Change kicked off the campaign with a phenomenally successful press conference call featuring leaders of a range of coalition groups including AFSCME, NEA, Sierra Club, USAction and more. Even with a grand total of nine speakers, press hung on through the call to ask questions at the end - most of which were actually even about the economic recovery plan. The coverage keeps rolling in from major national and political publications including the Wall Street Journal, the Associated Press, Congressional Quarterly and The Hill.
Web Team | 12.18.08 | | Link to this post
Leading Progressive Organizations, Unions to Announce National Economic Campaign
Washington, DC - Amid a worsening economic crisis that has left nearly 2 million Americans without jobs and over 2.5 million more without homes this year, the nation's leading progressive organizations and unions will announce a major national campaign tomorrow, Thursday, December 18th to pass the jobs and economic recovery package being proposed by President Elect Barack Obama and Congressional Leaders. The announcement will be made on a press conference call at 10:30 A.M.
More than 20 leading progressive organizations and unions with millions of members have signed onto run a major campaign to pass a significant jobs and economic recovery package to create millions of jobs and help the economy grow in the near and long term. To date, the following organizations have signed on the Campaign for Jobs and Economic Recovery Now: AFSCME, SEIU, AFLCIO, NEA, Americans United for Change, USAction, Campaign for America's Future, ACORN, Health Care for America Now, Sierra Club, People for the American Way Foundation, National Women's Law Center, TrueMajority.org, Young Democrats of America, 21st Century Democrats, Community Action Partnership, Institute for Policy Studies - Program on Inequality and the Common Good, Working Group on Extreme Inequality, YWCA USA , Economic Policy Institute, Women Voices, Women Vote and the League of Conservation Voters.
Web Team | 12.17.08 | | Link to this post
AUFC’s Brad Woodhouse talks economic recovery on Fox News
Web Team | 12.17.08 | | Link to this post