Jobs & the Economy
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.
Surely Republicans aren’t actually rooting for the economic catastrophe that would occur if America didn’t pay its bills, but that’s certainly hard to tell from today’s NY Times article:
Democrats are ready and willing to work with Republicans on a balanced agreement to ensure we pay our nation’s bills and reduce the deficit. But instead of coming to the table to address an issue they say is a top priority and is critical to economic growth, Republicans are walking away and risking our economy security while protecting tax breaks for the wealthy. Today on NPR Morning Edition, Norm Ornstein summed up the Republican strategy well:
Wanted to pass along this article in today’s Washington Post about the letter business leaders sent to Congress and the White House putting pressure on Republicans to agree to a comprehensive deal to ensure that America pays its bills and reduce the deficit.
While Democrats seek compromise on a large, comprehensive deficit reduction package, Republicans keep walking away in order to fight for tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans while advocating the end of Medicare.
If you’re wondering how genuinely concerned Republicans are about deficit reduction, look no further than to Senator McConnell's comments on the Senate Floor:
Wanted to make sure you all saw this story in The Hill on how business leaders are urging Congress and the White House to reach a comprehensive deal to ensure that America pays its bills and avoid the catastrophic consequences of default.
Yesterday, Speaker Boehner and Majority Leader Cantor argued that the fact that they are considering an increase in the debt limit is a concession, as both parties try to negotiate a large, comprehensive agreement to reduce the deficit and ensure America pays its bills. Ensuring America pays its bills isn’t a concession—it’s their responsibility. After all, their own budget, which nearly every Republican voted for, raises the debt limit and it was their policies that created most of our debt.
This week, Republicans backed away from negotiating a larger, comprehensive agreement to reduce the deficit and ensure America pays its bills. Instead, Republicans are choosing less deficit reduction, despite the fact that they argue deficit reduction is critical to boosting the economy and creating jobs and identified it as a top priority in their Pledge to America.
Today, President Obama issued an executive order directing our nation's independent regulatory agencies to examine their regulations, eliminating those that are found to have outlived their usefulness or to unnecessarily stand in the way of job creation. Many federal regulations protect consumer safety, economic fairness, our environment, and more, and it is important to keep those useful regulations in place. At the same time, though, it is appropriate to consistently scrutinize regulations and end those that are harmful, duplicative or out-of-date. Such a review is an important part of Democrats' Make It In America agenda—a legislative program to strengthen America's economic competitiveness and job creation—and I am glad that President Obama has furthered those goals with today's executive order.
As the talks at the White House continue, I remain hopeful that we can reach an agreement on a long-term, balanced approach to reduce our deficit and ensure that America pays its bills. However, that will require my Republican colleagues to remain at the negotiating table and work with us on a deal to address this crisis in a serious way. Democrats have said that everything needs to be on the table and have put everything on the table. Republicans must be prepared to make concessions of their own and not put the entire burden on seniors, the middle class and the most vulnerable among us.
Wanted to be sure you saw these op-eds and editorials after House Republicans backed away from negotiating a larger, comprehensive agreement to reduce the deficit and ensure America pays its bills. While Republicans have said they agree that we must pay our nation’s bills and argue that deficit reduction is critical to boosting the economy and creating jobs, they continue to fight for tax breaks for the wealthy while ending Medicare, rather than compromising on a balanced agreement.