Congress Has About One Week to Create More Jobs This Year

When Congress returns from its recess on Monday, it won't have much time if it wants to create more jobs this year.

Generally speaking, it takes about six months for increased public investment to make an impact on the economy. So if Congress passed major jobs legislation the day it returned -- which is not even possible -- the country wouldn't necessarily feel it until mid-October.

Only a few weeks before Election Day.

Now, we don't need to pass jobs legislation to help save the job of any congressperson. We need to pass jobs legislation to help the over 20 million Americans who are unemployed or underemployed find good jobs.

But sometimes, the prospect of a congressperson losing his or her job is what's needed to get risk-averse politicians to take action.

No one bill is going to resolve the jobs crisis. But one of the boldest pieces of legislation currently on the table in the House is the Local Jobs For America Act, which my colleague Mitchell Hirsch blogged about recently.

The bill would provide $100 billion to state and local governments, to help them create or save one million jobs in education, public safety, childcare, healthcare and transportation.

No namby-pamby tax credits. This bill cuts to the chase: direct government hiring.

More than 100 House members have co-sponsored the bill, but we need to double that to have enough support for passage.

Your House representative needs to hear from you. Now.

Campaign for America's Future just launched a new grassroots effort to round up sponsors for the Local Jobs For America Act. Click here to contact your House representative and let them know there is no time to lose.

Originally posted at OurFuture.org