The federal government expects to distribute $32 billion in American Rescue and Recovery Act (stimulus bill) funds per month, an increase from the $27 billion per month over the last year since the $787 billion Recovery Act was created.

Until now, $31 billion has been spent on projects, since the majority of spending has been on tax relief and direct help, including unemployment benefits, according to a CNN article.

“Many projects are just now getting underway, and will be creating jobs throughout 2010 and beyond,” Vice President Joe Biden told CNN. “Work on many Recovery Act projects will accelerate in the spring and summer months as weather conditions permit work on roads, bridges, water projects, and Superfund site clean ups.”

State and individual payment will decrease from $14 billion to $11 billion per month.

Much of the state and individual spending to bolster Medicaid funding and additional unemployment benefits was all meant to stabilize the economy during the recession, according to CNN.

"Taxpayers aren't getting their money's worth from the trillion-dollar 'stimulus' and struggling families and small businesses are rightly asking, 'Where are the jobs?',” Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, the House's top Republican told CNN.

In the last quarter of 2009, the Recovery Act funded just over half a million direct jobs, according to Recovery.gov.

The number of jobs created did not include those created indirectly through companies buying supplies for stimulus projects, people spending their tax cuts and increased unemployment benefits.

Through 540 contracts, 4,445 grants and 30 loans, the government has rewarded North Carolina with just over $5 billion, with close to $2 billion received. Approximately 26,000 new jobs were reported from recipients of the money from Oct. 1 through the end of the year.

“Our work is far from over, but we have rescued this economy from the worst of this crisis,” President Obama said on Wednesday according to CNN.

Story: JULIANNE OLSON, World Today Contributor

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