This month another one of my talented, amazing friends was laid off from her job.  Sadly, her situation is all too common.

"My husband just lost his job and therefore we lost all of our health insurance about a month ago. ... We have 2 young children - one is 8 years old and the other is 20 months old. We have very little savings and also had to claim bankruptcy a couple of years ago after years of under employment. We are very worried where we are going to be in a few months financially as we were just catching up on our bills and now are on this employment roller coaster again." -- Helen, a MomsRising member from Idaho

"One of my best friends was threatened with layoffs for two years due to outsourcing. Yesterday, she got laid off. Her severance package includes medical through April, but her husband just suffered a stroke and is going to need extensive rehabilitation. What happens if she can't find another job before April?  My boyfriend has an advanced degree and marketable skills, but he's facing a layoff in spring 2012 and is worried he won't find another job. For my part, I'm working two part-time jobs and still just scraping by. I send resumes and don't get responses; I get interviews and don't get called back. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE! Why are we shutting up and accepting this as inevitable?" --  a MomsRising member from Ohio

Why indeed! Our nation is facing grave challenges and we need to roll up our sleeves and work together to find a path forward.

It's been over two weeks since President Obama proposed the American Jobs Act -- a plan made up of ideas that both parties have endorsed in the past and should be able to get behind now.  But Congress has yet to take any action on the bill. Take a moment now to remind Congress that families across the country need them to act quickly to rebuild our economy.

*Tell Congress not to let politics get in the way of creating jobs in our nation and urge them to act to pass the American Jobs Act now! Click here: http://action.momsrising.org/letter/AmericanJobsAct/

What does the American Jobs Act do to help our nation?

The American Jobs Act will:

* Modernize at least 35,000 public schools across the country, supporting new science labs, internet- ready classrooms and school renovations in both rural and urban communities, putting hundreds of thousands of Americans back to work.

* Make immediate investments in infrastructure, modernizing our roads, railways and airports, and includes money for outreach and training to ensure that women are among those given the opportunity to apply for and get construction and infrastructure jobs that can help them climb back up the economic ladder.

* Eliminate payroll taxes for firms that increase their payroll by hiring workers or increasing wages, creating an incentive for businesses to hire more workers.

*Prevent up to 280,000 teacher layoffs, and keep first responders including firefighters and police officers on the job.

* Extend emergency unemployment benefits and prohibit employers from discriminating against unemployed workers when hiring, so that people who are desperately looking for jobs don’t fall even further behind. (1)

There are currently 25 million Americans who want to work, but can't find full time jobs.(2)  While many in Congress talk about the impact of spending on our deficit, less often mentioned is the fact that the deficit increases as more Americans are without work and therefore earn and spend less, resulting in less income and sales taxes.  Moreover, the cost of the bill will be offset by other proposed deficit reduction measures.

Tell Congress one key strategy to reducing our deficit is to get more Americans back to work. It's time to act to create jobs for families struggling with unemployment and underemployment! Click here: http://action.momsrising.org/letter/AmericanJobsAct/

Our nation didn't become strong by putting children and families last. Together we can create a bright future for our children.

Thank you!

--Donna, Kristin, Claire, and the MomsRising Team

P.S.  Last week we asked MomsRising members to share how the recession has impacted their families and we heard from moms and dads from across the country struggling to keep their families afloat in this tough time, including Helen and the Ohio member who shared their experiences above.  Please share your experience of how your family and friends have been impacted by the recession and we'll be sure to also share these stories with Congress: http://www.momsrising.org/member_stories/topic/has-your-family-been-impacted-by-the-recession/

P.P.S.  Have questions on finding affordable health care coverage for your kids or your aging parents? @MomsRising.org and @FamiliesUSA are co-hosting a Facebook chat next Thursday, Sept. 29 at 11 AM PST/ 2 PM EST to answer your questions on finding affordable coverage for your family. Feel free to leave your questions at this blogpost, which we're checking regularly: http://www.momsrising.org/blog/how-do-you-find-affordable-health-care-for-your-kids-and-parents-find-out-here/

(1) For more information about the American Jobs Act, see http://www.whitehouse.gov/jobsact#sub3-tab

(2) Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, National Public Radio