Thursday, February 5, 2009

What's in the stimulus bill??

$32 billion to transform the nation's energy transmission, distribution, and production systems by allowing for a smarter and better grid and focusing investment in renewable technology.

$16 billion to repair public housing and make key energy efficiency retrofits.

$6 billion to weatherize modest-income homes.

$10 billion for science facilities, research, and instrumentation.

$6 billion to expand broadband internet access so businesses in rural and other underserved areas can link up to the global economy.

$30 billion for highway construction;

$31 billion to modernize federal and other public infrastructure with investments that lead to long term energy cost savings;

$19 billion for clean water, flood control, and environmental restoration investments;

$10 billion for transit and rail to reduce traffic congestion and gas consumption.

$41 billion to local school districts through Title I ($13 billion), IDEA ($13 billion), a new School Modernization and Repair Program ($14 billion), and the Education Technology program ($1 billion).

$79 billion in state fiscal relief to prevent cutbacks to key services, including

$39 billion to local school districts and public colleges and universities distributed through existing state and federal formulas, $15 billion to states as bonus grants as a reward for meeting key performance measures, and $25 billion to states for other high priority needs such as public safety and other critical services, which may include education.

$15.6 billion to increase the Pell grant by $500.

$6 billion for higher education modernization.

$20 billion for health information technology to prevent medical mistakes, provide better care to patients and introduce cost-saving efficiencies.

$4.1 billion to provide for preventative care and to evaluate the most effective healthcare treatments.

$43 billion for increased unemployment benefits and job training.

$39 billion to support those who lose their jobs by helping them to pay the cost of keeping their employer provided healthcare under COBRA and providing short-term options to be covered by Medicaid.

$20 billion to increase the food stamp benefit by over 13% in order to help defray rising food costs.

$87 billion for a temporary increase in the Medicaid matching rate.

$4 billion for state and local law enforcement funding.

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