More Stimulus (And More Jobs) on the Horizon?

With health care reform off their plates (for now), the House of Representatives has begun to turn its attention to another pressing issue: jobs.  While the Recovery Act has created hundreds of thousands of jobs, helped get the economy growing again, and made investments in important sectors, it has only been able to slow job loss rather than actually decreasing the unemployment rate.  With that in mind, the House hopes to draft another piece of job-focused legislation.

What form such a bill would take is still unclear.  Ideas have included everything from more direct spending on infrastructure and energy projects to more tax breaks.  One idea has been termed "Cash for Caulkers" after the successful cash for clunkers program conducted earlier this year. This program would encourage home weatherization by creating incentives for home owners, an idea that could potentially create a lot of construction and energy jobs while reducing energy usage over the long term.

The House hopes to take up a bill in December or January, and Texas Impact will continue to monitor all stimulus-related developments.