Brown, Labor Secretary, EPA Head Discuss Federal Resources for Ohio Auto Communities

WASHINGTON, D.C. - As members of President Obama's cabinet visit Ohio auto communities this week, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa P. Jackson today joined U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) to discuss new federal funds to support Ohio auto and manufacturing communities.

"The auto industry helped build Ohio's middle class and our state's manufacturing base," Senator Brown said. "Coordinated and timely federal assistance will help rebuild auto communities and protect middle class families. This sort of approach will make all the difference for the 440,000 Ohio workers and their families whose livelihoods depend on the auto industry. I will continue to work with Secretary Solis and Administrator Jackson to make sure Ohio communities and families receive the support they deserve from the federal government."

Solis and Jackson joined Brown to discuss their visits this week to Ohio auto communities. These visits are part of a week-long series of visits by cabinet-level officials to Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Wisconsin. Solis visited northwest Ohio on Tuesday, June 2, and Cleveland today, June 3. Administrator Jackson's schedule includes visits to Columbus and Cincinnati today, June 3. Other visits by administration officials to Ohio this week include Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke in Dayton; Small Business Administration Administrator Karen Mills in Columbus and Dayton; Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar in Cleveland and Cuyahoga Valley National Park; and President Obama's Director of Recovery for Auto Communities and Workers Ed Montgomery in Cleveland.

"To help withstand these tough economic times, I am pleased to announce $100 million in Recovery Act funds to help Ohio's unemployed workers," Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis said. "These funds will help provide Ohioans much-needed job skills training opportunities, expanded unemployment benefits, and reemployment assistance."

"President Obama has sent us to hear first-hand about challenges in local communities and provide real solutions," EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson said. "That's how we make a difference for struggling families and start building a new foundation for prosperity. EPA is eager to continue working with Senator Brown and others on programs like clean diesel that can save and create auto-worker jobs at the same time they protect our health and our environment."

Ohio is slated to receive millions in funds administered by Department of Labor (DOL) for job training, unemployment insurance, and economic development. Brown and Solis discussed federal resources administered through the DOL that can assist Ohio auto communities and workers. Last month, from Ohio, the Obama administration announced $50 million in economic recovery funds will be allocated for clean energy job training in auto communities. Solis discussed this program and many others administered by the DOL that are aimed at assisting distressed communities.

Brown and Solis today announced nearly $109 million in new federal funds that have been awarded this week to assist Ohio communities and workers. They announced an additional $1.66 million in funds that have been released today as part of a $10 million National Emergency Grant (NEG) awarded through the DOL for Ohio auto communities. The additional funds will assist approximately 700 workers affected by the proposed closing of the Chrysler Twinsburg Stamping Plant. Ohio will also receive an additional $19.1 million in Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) funding to assist workers who have lost their jobs due to trade-related reasons. Yesterday, Solis and Brown announced an additional $88.2 million in unemployment insurance funds available for Ohioans through unemployment insurance modernization in the economic recovery package.

EPA Administrator Jackson joined Brown to discuss resources administered by the EPA to help Ohio communities save on energy costs while creating new clean energy jobs. Brown and Jackson announced today more than $6 million in recovery funds administered by the EPA. They discussed $5 million for clean diesel projects statewide and more than $1 million for Hamilton County to purchase clean diesel school buses. These funds are expected to create jobs while reducing carbon emissions and improving air quality in Ohio.

Brown is the author of legislation that would streamline and accelerate federal assistance to communities undergoing extreme economic distress. More information about Brown's legislation that would send a specialist or project manager from the federal government to quickly educate and inform local leaders in economically distressed communities about the existing federal assistance available to them is available here.

More information on economy recovery opportunities for Ohioans can be found on Brown's recovery Web page here.

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