EquityBlog

Last week, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works passed the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21), a nearly $80 billion bill to reauthorize the programs that build and maintain our nation’s streets, bridges, and sidewalks.  The introduction of this legislation was long-awaited.  The current reauthorization expired in 2009 and our nation’s transportation system has been limping along on extensions ever since.

As part of the debate on the bill, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) introduced an amendment to the bill that would create the first-ever construction careers demonstration program at the U.S. Department of Transportation, a provision that could have a major impact for transportation equity.

Quality jobs in the transportation sector can provide a pathway to the middle class.  The Construction Careers Program would connect Americans who have historically been underrepresented in the transportation construction workforce – low-income communities, women, and people of color — to quality apprenticeship training and job opportunities.

This program has been tested and proven in several cities  including in Los Angeles, New York, St. Louis, and Milwaukee.  Its inclusion in the next surface transportation reauthorization will provide people from communities across the nation who desire to contribute to our nation’s economic success with access to critical entry points into quality jobs in the transportation sector.

When she introduced the amendment, Sen. Gillibrand said of the elements of the construction careers program:

“[T]hese are important provisions that I believe could be a real benefit to the legislation, and hope that as this process moves forward we could work to try and include this program in the legislation.”

We are grateful to Senator Gillibrand for her leadership on this important issue.  With the introduction of this amendment, the construction careers program has reached a significant milestone.  However, we still have some important hurdles to get this proposal into the final surface transportation authorization.  Next, we would like to see this proposal taken up by other Senate Committees, particularly the Senate Banking Committee, which will reauthorize our transit programs, as well as the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

You can join the more than a dozen organizations who are working to make a Construction Careers program at US DOT a reality.  To find out how you can support of this effort, visit our website or please contact, Chris Brown, PolicyLink at cbrown@policylink.org.

This post was prepared by the National Congress of American Indians

NCAI President Jefferson Keel

Today, Jefferson Keel, President of the National Congress of American Indians, will deliver the 9^th annual State of Indian Nations address today at 10:30am from Washington, D.C. Immediately following President Keel’s address, Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska will deliver a Congressional response.

The address is an annual event hosted by NCAI and broadcast to communities throughout America. The speech will reflect on the state of Indian Country heading into 2011 and outline the key priorities for the federal government to consider when working to uphold the federal trust responsibility.

Watch live here:

A new era for Indian nations

In the speech, Keel will thank Congress and the Administration for the exceptional bipartisan achievements of 2010, noting that achievements like the Cobell settlement and Tribal Law & Order Act ”set the stage for a new era in Indian Country.” In prepared remarks, Keel notes the constitutional status of tribes as “nations within a nation” and their place “in the company of ‘foreign nations’ and ‘the several states.’”

The address will acknowledge challenges faced by Native people with unemployment rates that are “often four to five times [the rate] of the country as a whole” but will argue that tribes see “every challenge as an opportunity.”

Tribal energy: An investment worth making

Keel will draw attention to the fact that tribes care for 10 percent of America’s energy resources worth nearly a trillion dollars in revenue, including significant renewable energy potential. Investments in tribal energy development “will mean long-term economic development, and in turn the United States will become stronger.”

Indian Country is ready to “do big things”

Responding to President Obama’s call in his State of the Union address to secure the future by doing “big things,” President Keel noted the immense potential to invest in broadband development to close the gap between tribal communities (with 10 percent broadband availability) and the nation as a whole (with more than 95 percent availability).

A shared passion for more efficient government

Keel’s remarks commend many new members of Congress for their shared passion for “self-reliance and more efficient government.” He notes that Native people need “a government that respects our Constitutional sovereignty…whose leaders want to cut the red tape that blocks investment.”  Many of these changes are about offering tribes the same opportunities available to other governments and “won’t cost a penny.”

The Harlem Children’s Zone sent out this terrific email to its supporters today, asking them to tell the Senate to ensure full funding for the Promise Neighborhoods program:

This summer over 340 communities nationwide applied for Promise Neighborhoods grants from the US Department of Education.  Their goal is simple – they want to break the cycle of poverty for their children and families by creating comprehensive initiatives based on the Harlem Children’s Zone model.

President Obama proposed $210 million in his fiscal year 2011 budget for Promise Neighborhoods so communities can transform their visions into reality for poor children nationwide.  But the House of Representatives recently slashed the proposed Promise Neighborhoods budget from $210 million to $60 million. Quite simply this means that for thousands of children, the failing schools, dangerous streets, poor health care and other ills may not be addressed in the holistic way that the communities need.

We ask you to let your Senate and Representatives know that you want Promise Neighborhoods funding restored to $210 million for fiscal year 2011 in two ways:

1) Send a message to Congressional Leaders

2) If your organization is interested in signing onto a letter calling to restore the funding, (view letter) contact HCZ’s Policy Director Kate Shoemaker at kshoemaker@hcz.org to add your organization.

Thank you!