Tierney Strongly Supports Passage of Bill to Save Jobs and Keep Our Communities Safe
Peabody, MA – Congressman John Tierney announced today his strong support for theEducation Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act, a bill that will create or save more than 310,000 jobs for educators, police, and firefighters nationwide, while also extending critical Medicaid funding to the states. Massachusetts will receive more than $204 million to save an estimated 2,900 jobs for teachers and other education professionals.
“I commend the House of Representatives for passing a bill to help create and save critical jobs in our communities and end tax loopholes that make it easier to move American jobs offshore,” Congressman Tierney said. “As our economy continues to recover, we cannot abandon our neighborhoods and families by allowing thousands of teachers, police officers, and firefighters to lose their jobs. We need to continue our efforts to ensure that local families and small businesses can make it in America by investing in our communities in a smart and responsible manner. This bill is completely paid for, and takes important steps to grow jobs and reduce our deficit.”
The legislation includes a $10 billon Education Jobs Fund and extends a temporary increase in federal Medicaid funding, under Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP), to help states cover the costs of their Medicaid programs. The jobs fund and FMAP extension are paid for, in part by closing tax loopholes that encourage corporations to ship American jobs overseas. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) H.R. 1586 will reduce the budget deficit by $1.4 billion over the next 10 years. This is the third time Congressman Tierney has helped pass this effort in the House of Representatives. Following the Senate’s passage last week, the bill will now go to President Obama to be signed into law.
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