solutions for getting Californians back to work.  The Speaker also announced she will travel to the nation’s capitol this week to make California’s case to Obama Administration officials to help ensure the state receives its fair share of other federal funds.

“Legislators made tough decisions on the budget last week to save jobs,” Bass said. “Now we must all do all we can to create new jobs here in California. And now is certainly not the time to let up in pressing for our fair-share of federal funding.”

Signed into law by President Barack Obama last week, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 will bring billions of dollars to California, including more than $4 billion for transportation projects alone. 

The first of the legislative hearings on stimulus was the joint informational hearing of the Assembly Transportation Committee and Senate Transportation and Housing Committee to give legislators an opportunity to examine the steps California needs to take in order to maximize the transportation dollars in the President’s stimulus package.  All Assembly standing committees have been asked to join in looking at the stimulus package for ways of maximizing benefit to California. Additionally, Speaker Bass earlier announced the new Assembly Stimulus, Economic Recovery, and Jobs (SERJ) Task Force. SERJ will work in conjunction with local governments, business leaders, workers, and community groups to find ways to best leverage new federal funding and address the state’s immediate economic needs and long term goals.

“The Administration has committed to put Californians to work on shovel-ready projects as soon as funding is released,” Bass said.  “We’ve done our homework and we’ve submitted a list of projects that are ready to go. We have to be that aggressive with every facet of the stimulus package.”

Continuing to build on her relationship with President Obama and his Administration, Speaker Bass also announced she will travel to Washington, DC to meet with high-ranking officials to continue pressing for California to get its fair share of federal funds in other areas. She will also discuss California’s foreclosure crisis, its pending waiver before the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other issues related to federal implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.