Rep. Lois Capps, D-Santa Barbara, announced her strong support Tuesday for the Local Jobs for America Act (House Resolution 4812).

The legislation would help communities facing the highest unemployment rates, providing crucial funds to city, county and state governments to save the jobs of teachers, police officers and other first responders facing elimination.

“While the economy has stabilized and we are seeing signs of improvement — 162,000 jobs were created last month — I am still focused on increasing employment,” Capps said. “This bill will save nearly 1,500 jobs in the Central Coast, providing state and local governments with the resources they need to keep teachers in the classroom, police officers on patrol and firefighters in the station. Preserving these jobs directly benefits everyone in our community, and I will wholeheartedly support it as it moves through the legislative process.”

The Local Jobs for America Act would help keep services in local communities by providing funds to local governments to restore eliminated positions and threatened services. The funding in the bill would be allocated by the Department of Labor to communities most in need according to population, and would save nearly 1,500 jobs in the 23rd District and nearly 40,000 education jobs across the state of California.

The bill also would provide funding through the Workforce Investment Act for about 50,000 additional on-the-job training positions to help small businesses grow and hire.

“The focus on job training and small businesses in this bill are critical,” Capps said. “I have spent the last two weeks traveling throughout the Central Coast talking to my constituents, and we all agree on the importance of providing education and job training to prepare workers for the 21st century economy and giving small businesses the tools they need to succeed.”

The legislation has received strong support in Congress and from many national organizations. It has more than 100 supporters in the House, and has been endorsed by the United States Conference of Mayors, the National League of Cities and the National Association of Counties, among other organizations. 

— Ashley Schapitl is the press secretary for Rep. Lois Capps, D-Santa Barbara.