In 1997, thirty-three Democratic Members of the U.S. House of Representatives were original co-sponsors of the Job Creation and Infrastructure Restoration Act, a Communist Party USA project that was introduced into Congress by Rep. Matthew Martinez (D-California). Supported by the New York State Communist Party, this federal legislation was designed to create jobs at union wages in financially foundering cities by putting the unemployed to work on infrastructure projects such as rebuilding schools, housing, hospitals, libraries, public transportation, highways, and parks. Rep. Martinez had already introduced a version of this bill in the previous Congress at the request of the Los Angeles Labor Coalition for Public Works Jobs, whose leaders were known supporters or members of the Communist Party USA. The 33 co-sponsors of the Job Creation and Infrastructure Restoration Act were:

Gary L. Ackerman
Robert E. Andrews
George Brown
Danny Davis
Rosa L. DeLauro
Ron Dellums
Julia Dixon
Eliot L. Engel
Chaka Fattah
Bob Filner
Floyd Flake
Thomas Foglietta
Maurice D. Hinchey
Tom Lantos
Carolyn Maloney
Thomas Manton
Jim McDermott
Jim McGovern
Jerrold Nadler
Major Owens
Donald Payne Sr.
Charles Rangel
Lucille Roybal-Allard
Bobby Rush
Loretta Sanchez
Bernie Sanders
Charles Schumer
Robert Scott
Jose Serrano
Esteban Torres
Edolphus Towns
Nydia Velazquez
Maxine Waters