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.
A little more than two years after General Motors and Chrysler were forced through bankruptcy proceedings in return for government cash, the time has come to acknowledge the unlikely success of the auto bailout.
Factories produced more goods in May, bouncing back from supply disruptions caused by the Japan crises and tornadoes in the southern U.S. In April, those factors led to the first drop in output in 10 months.
It’s clear Republicans haven’t lived up to their pledge to focus on job creation in the past, but we hope, for the sake of the American people, that this summer is different. Democrats stand ready to work with Republicans so that we can create jobs, grow the economy and enact a plan to reduce the deficit.
Yesterday, Majority Leader Cantor acknowledged the consequences of failing to raise the debt limit—a statement Democrats welcome as we continue to call on Republicans to work with us to ensure America pays its bills and set a plan to reduce the deficit. Despite months of warnings from economists, business leaders and Wall Street executives, Republicans have held our economy hostage by suggesting we may not pay our nation’s bills.
Last week, House Majority Leader Cantor released a memo on the Floor schedule for the rest of the summer that claimed House Republicans have been “laser focused” on job creation. Unfortunately, the facts don’t back up that claim. Since taking the majority six months ago, Republicans have said over and over again that they are focused on jobs, and yet we have not seen a single jobs bills brought to the Floor:
Today, President Obama visited Northern Virginia Community College to discuss the importance of manufacturing to our economy’s future, and the role community colleges play in creating a well-prepared workforce, ready to take on well-paying jobs. I strongly agree with the president on the importance of manufacturing, which supports millions of middle-class families, drives innovation and productivity across our economy, and is crucial to America’s international competitiveness. That’s why I’m such a strong supporter of the Make It In America agenda, which focuses on rebuilding our manufacturing strength.
Today we received news that our economy added 54,000 jobs last month. It is disappointing that fewer jobs were created than in recent months, but it is an important sign of progress that private-sector employment has grown for 15 straight months under President Obama. With the unemployment rate increasing to 9.1% it is clear that too many Americans are still struggling to find work, and they deserve Washington’s attention and help.
Yesterday, House Republicans voted in lockstep to deem the Republican budget passed. Their budget makes the wrong choices—ending Medicare and raising costs for seniors while giving tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans.
I think the Biden talks are serious talks…. [T]he reports I get are that there are real efforts at making progress and addressing the fiscal crisis that confronts our nation and confronting the debt and deficit that we need to bring down, but also to constructively move forward on trying to reach bipartisan agreement which is the only way we're going to be able to affect change.
This is a serious issue. Our country is in crisis from a fiscal standpoint. But this vote is not the 'adult moment' of which Speaker Boehner spoke. This is not an honest debate; this is not an honest proposal.