Floor Speeches

U.S. Rep. Jared Polis
Floor Statement on H.R. 1 the American Recovery and Reinvestment Bill of 2009
January 28, 2009

Madame Speaker,

I rise in support of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Bill of 2009 and want to thank Speaker Pelosi, Chairman Obey, and all of my colleagues for their timely and decisive leadership on this issue.  

I am deeply distressed about the state of our economy and the impact of the recession on hardworking Americans.  My home State of Colorado, faced with draconian budget cuts, is seeing reductions in critical services, workers being laid-off left and right, and a massive scaling back of statewide investments.  15,000 Coloradans lost their jobs last October and November alone.  

And the future looks equally grim—unless we act boldly and act now.  

The time has come to set aside partisanship and ideology and tackle forcefully and immediately the underlying conditions and factors that have frozen economic activity.  
That is why we must ensure that this legislation passes the House and Senate and reaches President Obama’s desk as soon as possible.  I urge my colleagues to ignore on which side of the aisle they sit and take part in this measure to rebuild our nation’s infrastructure – both physical and human – and renew confidence in our economy.
 
As some of you may know, before joining you in Congress, I served as Chairman of the Colorado State Board of Education and Superintendent of the New America Charter School.  As an educator, I can tell you that education is the only meaningful, long-term investment we can make to stimulate the American economy.
 
This bill lays the foundation for an Education System for the 21st Century by investing in our future.   It builds high tech schools, reaches out to at-risk kids and children with disabilities, and increases Pell Grant and Work-Study aid college students and their families.  Without it, we risk losing precious ground in our fight to close the gap in education and ensure that the next generation is well-equipped to compete and thrive in this globalized economy.  

In my district, Adams County has suffered enormously from the economic downturn, experiencing the 10th highest unemployment rate out of Colorado’s 64 counties with over 16,000 unemployed workers.  This historic bill will immediately prevent further job loss in hard-hit places like Adams County, by keeping teachers and all forms of hard-working Americans where they belong—in their jobs—so they can support their families and contribute to the economy.

I applaud Chairman Miller for his tireless efforts on behalf of teachers, students, families, and the American worker.  This crisis requires leadership and there is no time to waste.  Thank you and I yield back the balance of my time.