Seriously. I would be an awesome HHS Secretary. I am a Democrat. I know what it's like to live without health insurance and have medical bills to show for it. And sure, I haven't actually run major (or even minor) organizations, but I was in Student Government once and I have run several committees! I bet I could even round up Congressional support for health care legislation - I've got some volunteers and a good network of people to mobilize and help me out with that project.
-- This bill sets aside over $ 2 billion for distance learning, telemedicine, and the broadband program.
-- $ 100 million for WIC and $ 150 million for the emergency food assistance program.
-- Wireless and broadband deployment grant programs will get $ 2.85 billion, of which $ 1 billion shall be for Wireless Deployment Grants and $ 1.825 billion shall be for Broadband Deployment Grants.
-- Provides $ 650 million for the digital conversion program - this will provide more coupons and help with consumer education.
-- Funding for NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) - $ 400 million for habitat restoration and mitigation activities and $600 million for accelerating satellite development and acquisition, acquiring climate sensors and climate modeling capacity, and establishing climate data records. (In other words, scientists will finally get funding for studying climate change - and I'm guessing this administration won't try to hide the results!)
-- $ 3 billion for State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance and $1 billion for Community Oriented Policing Services.
-- NASA will get some funds - "$ 400 million of which not less than $ 250 million shall be solely for accelerating the development of the tier 1 set of Earth science climate research missions recommended by the National Academies Decadal Survey."
-- National Science Foundation will get $ 2.5 billion - $ 500 million of which will be used for modernization of equipment.
-- The Department of Defense will get $ 4.5 billion - to improve, repair and modernize Department of Defense facilities, restore and modernize Army barracks, and invest in the energy efficiency of Department of Defense facilities. In addition to that, $ 350 million will be made available for Energy Research and Development on DoD facilities.
-- $ 2 billion for construction projects for the Army Corps of Engineers. An additional $ 250 million for Mississippi River and tributaries - for levies, flood control, locks, etc. And another $ 2.25 billion for operation and maintenance of projects already underway. (This is welcome news for those who experienced bad flooding this year in Iowa, Missouri, and Southern Illinois.)
-- $ 500 million for water and related resources.
-- $ 18.5 billion for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. This is divided up to include funds for research, development, demonstration and deployment activities, to accelerate the development of technologies, weatherization assistance, conservation, etc.
-- $ 4.5 billion for Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability.
-- $ 2.5 billion for necessary expenses to demonstrate carbon capture and sequestration technologies.
-- An additional $ 2 billion for research projects related to energy technologies.
-- This bill allows for $ 3.25 billion in loans to the Western Area Power Administration for infrastructure upgrades. An additional $3.25 billion for the purposes of providing funds to assist in financing the construction, acquisition, and replacement of the transmission system of the Bonneville Power Administration and to implement the authority of the Administrator under the Pacific Northwest Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act.
-- $ 7.7 Billion goes to the Federal Buildings Fund - $ 1 billion to be used for new construction and $ 6 billion to be used for "repair, and alteration of Federal buildings for projects that will create the greatest impact on energy efficiency and conservation."
-- $ 600 million is available "for capital expenditures and necessary expenses of the General Services Administration's Motor Vehicle Acquisition and Motor Vehicle Leasing programs for the acquisition of motor vehicles, including plug-in and alternative fuel vehicles."
-- $ 426 million is available for small business loans.
-- $ 150 million to repair and construct inspection facilities at land border ports of entry.
-- $ 500 million for the purchase and installation of explosive detection systems and emerging checkpoint technologies.
-- $ 150 million for alteration or removal of obstructive bridges (this is for projects that are ready to go asap).
-- $ 300 million for priority road and bridge repair and replacement, and critical deferred maintenance and improvement projects on National Wildlife Refuges, National Fish Hatcheries, and other Service properties.
-- $ 1.7 billion for projects to address critical deferred maintenance needs within the National Park System, including roads, bridges and trails, and for other critical infrastructure projects.
-- $ 200 million for the USGS for repair and restoration of facilities; equipment replacement and upgrades including stream gages, and seismic and volcano monitoring systems; national map activities; and other critical deferred maintenance and improvement projects.
-- $ 500 million for priority repair and replacement of schools, detention centers, roads, bridges, employee housing, and critical deferred maintenance projects.
-- $ 800 million for the Hazardous Substance Superfund.
-- $ 200 million for the Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund Program', to carry out leaking underground storage tank cleanup activities authorized by subtitle I of the Solid Waste Disposal Act.
-- $ 8.4 billion for State and Tribal Assistance Grants. $6 billion of that for Clean Water State Revolving Funds, and $2 billion for capitalization grants for the Drinking Water State Revolving Funds.
-- $ 650 million for reconstruction, capital improvement, decommissioning, and maintenance of forest roads, bridges and trails; alternative energy technologies, energy efficiency enhancements and deferred maintenance at Federal facilities; and for remediation of abandoned mine sites, removal of fish passage barriers, and other critical habitat, forest improvement and watershed enhancement projects on Federal lands and waters.
-- $ 850 million of which $ 300 million is for hazardous fuels reduction, forest health, wood to energy grants and rehabilitation and restoration activities on Federal lands, and of which $ 550 million is for State fire assistance hazardous fuels projects, volunteer fire assistance, cooperative forest health projects, city forest enhancements, and wood to energy grants on State and private lands.
-- $ 550 million for Indian Health Facilities - for priority health care facilities construction projects and deferred maintenance, and the purchase of equipment and related services, including but not limited to health information technology.
-- $ 150 million for deferred maintenance projects, and for repair, revitalization, and alteration of facilities owned or occupied by the Smithsonian Institution.
-- $ 50 million to the NEA to be distributed in direct grants to fund arts projects and activities which preserve jobs in the non-profit arts sector threatened by declines in philanthropic and other support during the current economic downturn.
-- $ 500 million for grants to the States for adult employment and training activities and $1.2 billion for grants to the States for youth activities, including summer jobs for youth. $1 billion for grants to the States for dislocated worker employment and training activities. $500 million for the dislocated workers assistance national reserve to remain available for Federal obligation through June 30, 2010. $50 million for YouthBuild activities. $750 million for a program of competitive grants for worker training and placement in high growth and emerging industry sectors.
-- $ 120 million for Community Service Employment for Older Americans.
-- $ 500 million for unemployment funds to the states.
-- $ 300 million for construction, rehabilitation and acquisition of Job Corps Centers.
-- $ 2.18 billion for health care - $1 billion shall be available for renovation and repair of health centers. $600 million shall be for the training of nurses and primary care physicians and dentists. $500 million shall be for grants to health centers.
-- CDC would get $ 426 million for equipment, construction, and renovation of facilities, including necessary repairs and improvements to leased laboratories.
-- NIH gets funding $ 1.5 billion for grants or contracts under section 481A of the Public Health Service Act to renovate or repair existing non-Federal research facilities. $ 500 million to fund high priority repair and improvement projects for National Institutes of Health facilities on the Bethesda, Maryland campus and other agency locations. And $ 1.5 billion to the Office of the Director "that such funds shall be transferred to the Institutes and Centers of the National Institutes of Health and to the Common Fund established under section 402A(c)(1) of the Public Health Service Act in proportion to the appropriations otherwise made to such Institutes, Centers, and Common Fund for fiscal year 2009."
-- $ 1 billion for Low-Income Home Energy Assistance.
-- $ 1 billion for carrying out activities under the Head Start Act. $1.1 billion for expansion of Early Head Start programs.
-- $ 2 billion for the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.
-- $ 420 million to prepare for and respond to an influenza pandemic, including the development and purchase of vaccine, antivirals, necessary medical supplies, diagnostics, and other surveillance tools.
-- $ 3 billion for a `Prevention and Wellness Fund' to be administered through the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Secretary.
-- $ 13 billion for `Education for the Disadvantaged' to carry out title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.
-- $ 16 billion for Student Financial Assistance.
-- $ 14 billion for School Modernization, Renovation, and Repair.
-- Mandatory increases in Pell Grants and an increase in student loan limits.
-- $ 160 million which shall be used to expand existing AmeriCorps grants.
-- $ 900 million for Social Security Administration - $400 million for the construction and associated costs to establish a new National Computer Center, which may include lease or purchase of real property and $500 million for processing disability and retirement workloads. (I can't tell you how much this is needed. Anyone who has interacted with SSA to apply for benefits knows the need for this.)
-- $ 950 million to the VA for non-recurring maintenance, including energy projects.
-- $ 30 billion for highway infrastructure investment.
-- $ 800 million for Amtrak - priority shall be given to projects for the repair, rehabilitation, or upgrade of railroad assets or infrastructure.
-- $ 4 billion to the public housing capital fund - public housing authorities shall give priority to capital projects that can award contracts based on bids within 120 days from the date the funds are made available to the public housing authorities.
-- $ 2.5 billion for elderly, disabled, and section 8 assisted housing energy retrofit.
-- $ 1 billion to carry out the community development block grant program under title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974.
-- $ 1.5 billion for Homeless Assistance Grants, for the emergency shelter grants program as authorized under subtitle B of tile IV of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.
-- $ 79 billion for the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund.
-- Increase in the Earned Income Tax Credit.
-- Temporary Medicaid coverage for the unemployed and additional incentives for providers and suppliers to participate in Medicare and Medicaid.
And much much more.
Republicans are making their calls. They have been mobilized. Are we going to let the moronic Bush 22 percenters be heard while we stay silent? I don't think so. If you want good progressive projects to be a part of this stimulus bill, you'd better start defending it and asking for MORE good projects. The Republicans are all over TV bashing every aspect of this bill they can. Some Democrats are helping them do this, and the pundits and idiot "journalists" seem to be happy to join in - pointing out every little thing that they can and determining that it doesn't qualify as "stimulus". Let's let them know that we believe it IS stimulus - and if you hear people say it isn't, tell them why it is. Educate them.
As far as I'm concerned, the more infrastructure spending, the better. The more arts spending, the better. The more energy spending, the better. And if we can add the AMT fix and some home buying help in the Senate version, great. If we can add more transportation funding in the Senate, great. But let's not HELP these assholes take good spending out of this bill. We can focus on what's GOOD here as well as what should go. Let's do that.
And by all means - provide people with talking points. Give people the information they need to respond to criticism of this bill. This funding WILL provide jobs. Just look at all the funds above - remember all those jobs cut from the Forest Service? How many construction workers do you think will be employed by billions of dollars for infrastructure repairs or new buildings? How many engineers? How many electricians? How many scientists and artists will benefit from this bill?
The Republican talking point is that x doesn't qualify as "stimulus" -- our response needs to be swift and strong - EVERYTHING counts as stimulus in this economy. When people are losing their homes and food bank shelves are empty - every dime we can put into every part of the economy is stimulus.
This bill does all these things. And I like the rhetoric here a bit more - "Recovery and Reinvestment Plan" sounds good. Let's use that!