Roadmap to Recovery

Dear Mr. President,

Our "Roadmap to Recovery" initiative is an ambitious effort to reflect the commitments of your Cabinet members for a stepped up level of activity in implementing the Recovery Act in the next 100 days.  We intend to deliver this increased pace at virtually every agency, and in countless programs.

In this report, we have highlighted ten of these commitments and provided a graphic representation of where Americans can expect to see the Recovery Act in action across the country this summer.

These ten spotlighted commitments include:

• Enable 1,129 Health Centers in 50 States and Eight Territories to Provide Expanded Service to Approximately 300,000 Patients – This HHS program will create jobs and support health center efforts to improve access to quality, comprehensive, and affordable care.
• Begin Work on Rehabilitation and Improvement Projects at 98 Airports and Over 1,500 Highway Locations Throughout the Country – Projects will include runway construction at selected airports to increase capacity, and interstate repaving projects to reduce bottlenecks and congestion.
• Fund 135,000 Education Jobs Including Teachers, Principals and Support Staff – The Recovery Act funds will help to keep outstanding teachers in America’s schools and help with necessary reforms to ensure that every child in America can receive a complete and competitive education. 
• Begin Improvements at 90 Veterans Medical Centers Across 38 States – Upgrading existing Veterans Medical Centers will increase the quality of the facilities to deliver the care our soldiers deserve.
• Hire or Keep on the Job Approximately 5,000 Law Enforcement Officers – These funds will be used to hire new officers while also retaining our veteran force. 
• Start 200 New Waste and Water Systems in Rural America – These projects will replace outdated water mains and build waste-water treatment facilities for small communities.
• Begin Work on 107 National Parks – Through these projects, we will preserve the National Park System, and launch long overdue projects.
• Begin or Accelerate Cleanup Work at 20 Superfund Sites from the National Priority List – Superfund work will boost local economies by creating and maintaining jobs while also protect¬ing human health and the environment.
• Create 125,000 Summer Youth Jobs – Empowering our young people through meaningful summer employment will keep them off the streets and provide them with valuable work experience.
• Initiate 2,300 Construction and Rehabilitation Projects at 359 Military Facilities Across the Nation – Department of Defense projects will improve personnel living quarters and install green technologies throughout the country for the United States Military.  

We have included maps that describe the location of major commitments over the next 100 days.  The map on the following page paints a broad picture of how Recovery is impacting areas across the United States. 

When you signed the Recovery Act, you promised that, "Once the money starts to go out you’ll be able to see how, when and where it is spent."  The information included here is only a down payment on that promise.  We are working with the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board to help them get the data they need to make Recovery.gov even better than it is today.  We share with the Board the goals of transparency, accountability and timeliness of providing detailed information to the American people.

The bottom line is that we are working hard to get Recovery Act funds out into the communities across the nation to create good jobs and serve as a pillar of the economic recovery we all want to see.

Cordially,

         
 Joe Biden