Brentwood, NY – On Saturday, Rep. Steve Israel (D – Huntington) held jobs fairs in the Huntington and Brentwood communities with federal agencies who are currently hiring. Fifteen federal agencies attended and the Office of Personnel Management gave a presentation on how to navigate the federal hiring process.

“Improving the economy means putting people back to work at good jobs. Recently, I sought out 25 Long Island companies who are currently hiring and held a jobs fair with more than 100 Long Islanders attending. Building on that effort, I brought together 15 federal agencies to hold jobs fairs in the Huntington and Brentwood communities. I hope these efforts will match some local job-seekers with employers who are hiring,” said Rep. Israel.

The federal agencies in attendance included the Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Marshals, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Veterans Affairs, US Customs and Border Protection, Office of Personnel Management, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Central Intelligence Agency, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Federal Aviation Administration, Drug Enforcement Agency, Bureau of Prisons, Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Health and Human Services.

This week, Rep. Israel supported the Small Business Lending Fund Act of 2010, which passed in the House of Representatives. The Small Business Lending Fund Act leverages up to $300 billion in loans for small businesses through a $30 billion lending fund for small and medium-sized community banks, which focus on lending to small firms.In January, Rep. Israel proposed a payroll tax credit to encourage hiring. In March, Congress passed and the President signed a measure to give new tax benefits to businesses for hiring new employees. The legislation includes a payroll tax holiday through December for any employer that hires someone who is currently unemployed. It also includes an extra $1,000 tax credit for employers who retain that employee.

Rep. Israel serves on the House Appropriations Committee.