WHEREAS,  the recent economic downturn is having a critical impact on everyday Americans who are struggling to maintain or find jobs in an increasingly difficult economic environment; and

WHEREAS,  those same Americans are the taxpayers that provide the revenue needed to operate essential government services; and

WHEREAS,  the United States Congress and President Barack H. Obama have passed a taxpayer-sponsored economic recovery package, known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009; and

WHEREAS,  this recovery package will provide billions of dollars to help economically devastated cities and states and immediately provide jobs to millions of out-of-work Americans through considerable infrastructure rebuilding, green energy projects and other projects that will require manufactured components; and

WHEREAS,  our taxpayer dollars should be spent to maximize the creation of American jobs and to restore the economic vitality of all our communities; and

WHEREAS,  any economic recovery plan spending should include a commitment from the recipients of the spending plan funds in the State of Maine to comply with the requirements in the economic recovery package for buying materials, goods and services that are produced by companies within the United States; now, therefore, be it