From the AFL-CIO

Members of the 111th Congress were sworn in yesterday, and thanks to your hard work, we have a strong pro-working family majority in both the Senate and House. With our economy in a severe downturn due to catastrophic mismanagement by President Bush and his allies in Congress, we are fortunate to have strong congressional advocates for a true economic recovery package that works for all of America’s workers, not just the wealthy few.

The economic mess that Bush is leaving behind needs immediate attention, and Congress must act fast to rebuild our economy and create new jobs by investing in our crumbling infrastructure and providing much-needed aid to states working to balance their budgets. President-elect Barack Obama has outlined a two-year approximately $800 billion investment and recovery package that accomplishes these goals. We are supportive of the magnitude of this plan, and we expect Congress to turn his outline into legislation.

Conservatives in Washington and their Big Business allies are going to voice their standard complaints about these financial expenditures. But rescuing our economy depends on taking big steps, and frankly the Republicans in Congress have little credibility on these issues right now. After eight years of Republican rule in Washington, our federal debt has almost doubled to more than $10.5 trillion. The ongoing financial crisis is a direct result of their policies and lack of oversight of the financial services industry.

As Congress begins developing a final economic recovery package, we will be in touch. One thing is certain�even with friends in Congress we will need your help to ensure that this bill is the beginning of a reinvestment in the American people, not just another corporate handout.