Reid pushes job creation

Benjamin Grove

Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2001 | 10:51 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- With thousands of people out of work in his own state and unemployment jumping nationwide, Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., today continued his campaign to push a plan to create more than half a million jobs.

Reid, the No. 2 Senate Democrat, is on the front lines of a gritty partisan battle in Congress over how to stimulate the economy.

Republicans generally back a plan weighted toward corporate tax cuts. Democrats support a three-pronged approach: new spending on projects to create jobs; unemployment and health benefits for laid-off workers and tax relief for working families.

Reid and Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.V., are pushing a $20 billion piece of legislation they say creates jobs and protects America from terrorists.

Details of the plan released Wednesday indicate it would provide:

* $3.1 billion for bioterrorism and food safety programs.

* $2.5 billion for improved highway safety.

* $2.1 billion for safe drinking water improvements.

* $1.5 billion for state and local anti-terrorism projects.

* $1 billion for airport security.

* $1.2 billion for enhanced security at federal sites, including nuclear labs, border crossings, national monuments.

* $1.3 billion for transit and Amtrak security.

Las Vegas could receive federal money for the currently under way Strip monorail project and water and highway projects if Congress approves the plan, Reid has said.

Reid has met four times in the last few weeks with U.S. mayors who actively back his plan.

Today he held another press conference flanked by mayors from Baltimore, New Orleans and Gary, Ind., in an effort to pressure Republicans. Reid often repeats that 42,000 jobs are created for every $1 billion spent.

"(The GOP plan) just will do nothing to stimulate the economy on a short-term basis or on a long-term basis," Reid said. "What we're talking about doing is creating jobs."

President Bush backs tax cuts and has said he wants to limit new spending, and negotiations between Democrats and Republicans are tense.

"Legislation is the art of compromise and we're going to have to work together," Reid told reporters today. But Reid said "we're not willing to give up" the heart of the job-creating plan.

Three of Nevada's four lawmakers also back legislation designed to boost tourism that would give tax credits to people who travel before the end of the year. Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., is undecided on the proposal. Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., has argued most loudly of the four for unemployment and health care benefits.