American Jobs Act of 2011

This bill was designed to provide tax relief for American workers and businesses, to put workers back on the job while rebuilding and modernizing America, and to provide pathways back to work for unemployed Americans.[1] The bill would have helped low-income individuals by:

• Providing tax cuts for small businesses on their first $5 million in payroll, and eliminating payroll taxes for firms that add new workers or increase wages.[2]
• Providing tax credits to encourage the hiring of unemployed veterans.[3]
• Preventing up to 280,000 teacher layoffs.[4]
• Modernizing at least 35,000 public schools across the country.[5]
• Creating Project Rebuild, which would put people to work rehabilitating homes, business, and communities.[6]
• Extending unemployment benefits.[7]
• Banning employers from discriminating against the unemployed when hiring.[8]
• Providing a tax credit for employers who hire long-term unemployed workers.[9]
• Expanding job opportunities for low-income youth and adults.[10]

This bill did not receive the 3/5 vote necessary to invoke cloture in the Senate.[11]

For more information

» Visit govtrack.us
Detailed information about the bill, including full text, floor speeches, sponsors and more

» Toggle footnotes

Legend

= vote to fight poverty = vote against fighting poverty = no vote