Women Need Congress to Put Teachers Back to Work, Right Away

Last week, Senate Republicans and two Democrats voted to block debate of the full American Jobs Act, even though 14 million Americans – 9.1 percent – are still looking for work. Now, the Obama Administration and Senator Harry Reid are looking to take up the Jobs Act one piece at a time to tackle our nation’s jobs deficit.

First up on the agenda is the Teachers and First Responders Back to Work Act. It’s a part of the American Jobs Act that particularly helps women, and it couldn’t have come sooner. Since the recovery began in June 2009, women have lost 264,000 jobs while men have gained 1.1 million jobs. The job-hemorrhaging public sector is primarily to blame for women’s dismal employment picture.

Local government education, a field which is three quarters women, lost more than 255,000 jobs since June 2009. So the $30 billion the Senate bill would provide to protect or create about 400,000 education jobs would be a boon to women’s employment, families’ economic security, and children’s education.

We know some members of Congress are reluctant (ok, downright recalcitrant) to pass any legislation that requires spending money rather than slashing budgets. But those members should know that this bill is fully paid for by a modest 0.5 percent surtax on income above $1 million.

Oh no, I just mentioned the most divisive policy issue in Washington, DC – taxes. But taxes aren’t as evil as Ron Paul or Michelle Bachmann would have you think (I like paved roads, safe food, and being part of a society that takes care of its people, thank you very much), and levying modest increases on the richest Americans doesn’t amount to class warfare.

Our analysis of the Census poverty data shows that American women have already slashed and scrimped and gone without while Congress protected tax breaks for America’s richest individuals and corporations. Women and families simply can’t afford to watch Congress pass on another opportunity to vote to put women and men back to work.

I hope the Senators who refused to even discuss the American Jobs Act in its entirety, especially those whose states have unemployment rates above the national average, take a second look at this smaller piece of the original bill.

Maybe, like Barack Obama told crowds in North Carolina, Senator Mark Rubio just didn’t quite understand, that the American Jobs Act (and now the smaller Teachers and First Responders Back to Work Act) could save or create 25,900 teacher jobs in Florida, where unemployment is 10.7 percent. Maybe Senator Mark Kirk didn’t understand that this bill could save or create 14,500 teacher jobs in Illinois, where unemployment is 9.9 percent. And maybe Senator Dean Heller didn’t realize that this bill could save or create 3,600 teacher jobs in Nevada, where unemployment is the highest in the nation at 13.4 percent.

Well, let’s make it clear. Millions of women across the nation understand the need for job creation and the value of education. They are tired of seeing education, health care, and other critical services for women and families cut, while tax breaks for millionaires and corporations are protected. They are tired of waiting for some politicians to get it. They needed Congress to pass a jobs bill yesterday.