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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Joseph Rendeiro
(202) 776-1566
jrendeiro@nclr.org
NCLR also calls on Senate to pass the Infrastructure Jobs Bill in upcoming vote
Washington—NCLR (National Council of La Raza) expressed its profound disappointment that, despite the need to make critical investments to spur job growth and lay the foundation for future national economic prosperity, the U.S. Senate failed yesterday to pass the “Rebuild America Jobs Act” (S. 1769), a provision of President Obama’s American Jobs Act that could have potentially put millions of Americans back to work. NCLR is also concerned that not one single Republican voted for this measure, which would have helped countless communities across the country that are still reeling from the economic downturn.
“This is yet another failed opportunity to turn the tide for the millions of Americans, including millions of Latinos, who need good-paying jobs to lift themselves and this country out of the recession,” said Janet Murguía, NCLR President and CEO. “We previously challenged Congress to step off of the sidelines and push policies that could stimulate job growth and save the American Dream. Yesterday’s vote shows that despite the rhetoric they may use, many of our elected leaders have clearly not prioritized job creation and do not understand the burden that the American people bear due to Congress’s lack of action.”
Despite this setback, NCLR continues to urge Congress to aggressively pursue policies that will create job opportunities for the American people. In fact, last week, Senate leaders announced that they will move forward with a comprehensive bill that provides a two-year reauthorization of transportation construction legislation. The reauthorization of this bill, known as “Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century” (MAP-21), is especially important for Latinos, who make up a large sector of the workforce in industries that are crucial to modernizing our transportation infrastructure.
“Smart, equitable transportation investments will strengthen our nation’s economy and productivity and will open up much-needed jobs,” added Murguía. “And Hispanics and other communities of color have the potential to benefit significantly from the job creation that stems from transportation-related projects. Congress passing a transportation infrastructure act would be a key step to expanding access to quality jobs in these industries.”
For more information about Latino employment in the transportation sector, please read NCLR’s Monthly Latino Employment Report.
NCLR—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. For more information on NCLR, please visit www.nclr.org or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
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