There was a new push Monday for a summertime surge from the stimulus package that Congress approved earlier this year. The focus on job creation followed Friday’s report that the unemployment rate rose in May to 9.4 percent, the highest in 26 years.  Nationwide, according to the White House, “we’ve created or saved over 150,000 jobs, cut taxes for 95 percent of working families and made funds available for over 4,000 transportation projects.” In Vermont, according to one estimate, 55 projects worth almost $150 million have been approved so far. More are on the way.

For example, Senator Bernie Sanders this month joined Representative Peter Welch at St. Albans on the shore of Lake Champlain to announce a new clean water initiative using economic stimulus funds. To watch a Fox 44 report on the press conference, click here.

For more information on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, go to http://www.recovery.gov/ or http://www.recovery.org/