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Jobs & the Economy

Creating jobs and expanding economic opportunity continues to be Democrats’ top priority.

Throughout the 117th Congress, House Democrats have partnered with President Biden to enact policies that expand economic opportunity for businesses, workers, and communities across America. Under President Biden and Congressional Democrats, the unemployment rate is at its lowest in more than 50 years with more than 10 million jobs created, helping more of our people get ahead in today’s economy and Make It In America.
 
Democrats pursue an economic agenda that helps American businesses create good-paying jobs and ensure that workers have the tools not only to get by but to get ahead in our global economy.  From raising the minimum wage to providing skills training and apprenticeship opportunities to ensuring equal pay for equal work, from making childcare more affordable to making it easier to save for retirement, Democrats’ economic policies are aimed at helping workers and their families attain real economic security at every stage of life. 
 
Democrats have also delivered historic legislation investing in infrastructure and greater access to high-speed internet, taking the lead in the clean-energy economy, and supporting innovation and entrepreneurship. The generational Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has already begun to expand economic opportunity for Americans in communities across the country and takes action to repair our nation’s roads, bridges, ports, and other infrastructure while creating nearly 1.5 million jobs annually over the next decade. It contains the first major American investment in climate resilience to help communities upgrade their critical infrastructure and mitigate the impact of climate change-driven extreme weather. Likewise, the Inflation Reduction Act also advances America’s clean energy goals, turbocharging clean energy research and transmission while promoting electric vehicle domestic manufacturing to reduce American dependence on gasoline while revitalizing our auto industry.
 
The CHIPS and Science Act includes bipartisan measures to revitalize the domestic semiconductor industry and spur research. By strengthening domestic supply chains, this law acts directly to accelerate American innovation in the long-term while acting immediately to address inflation and create good paying jobs. House Democrats will continue to champion skills training and education at every level – from early childhood learning through higher education – to prepare our people for success and advancement in a changing economy.  In all of these efforts, Democrats will continue to look for ways to make access to opportunities more equitable and to combat the lingering effects of legalized discrimination that continue to make it harder for minorities to access credit for loans, seek investment capital for startups, and build wealth to pass on to the next generation. 
 
With historic job creation under President Biden, House Democrats will continue to advance policies that expand economic opportunity for working families, support small businesses, and create better-paying jobs.


Jobs & the Economy Related

The final jobs report of 2018 reflects an economy unsure of its direction.
I’m pleased that the House has finally provided certainty to farmers and those fighting hunger in our communities by passing a bipartisan farm bill.
While reflective of a resilient economy, the November jobs report was weaker than expected, driven in part by uncertainty due to trade and the realization that any short term benefit of the GOP tax cut has already worn off.  
In the last jobs report before the midterm election, Americans can see the fundamental challenges facing our economy.  As we reach ninety-seven consecutive months of job growth, it is clear the economy is strong on many fronts.
Today’s announcement by the Trump Administration that the federal deficit rose 17% to reach $779 billion in fiscal year 2018 is the direct result of a Republican-led Congress and White House choosing to provide massive tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans.
We should all be encouraged by today’s report that our economy added 134,000 jobs in September. It is another sign of a sustained recovery that has added jobs every month for eight consecutive years.
The August jobs report continues to show an economy plagued by deep structural challenges, the result of which are stagnant wages, uncertainty for small businesses, and a generation of American workers unable to get ahead.
House Republicans could have worked with Democrats to pass a bipartisan Farm Bill that provides certainty for America’s farmers and supports programs that combat hunger.
On Monday, Americans will celebrate the workers’ rights victories that enabled generations of our people to make it in America.  Without the activism of organized labor and the perseverance of millions of workers, our nation would not have the most powerful economy in the world and sustain the growth of our middle class.
This morning’s monthly jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics continues to reveal structural problems negatively affecting workers, small businesses, and long-term economic growth.