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.
Closing those loopholes can also reduce the deficit. In the spending bill on the floor this week, total discretionary spending for Fiscal Year 2011 adds up to $1.1 trillion. How much do our tax expenditures cost for the same fiscal year? Coincidentally—$1.1 trillion. Closing tax loopholes isn’t the only answer to our budget challenges—but it must be part of the answer. Because if we attempt to solve our debt without addressing defense, entitlements, and revenue, we’re fighting with one hand and four fingers tied behind our back.
I am proud to introduce the Full-Service Community Schools Act today. Full-service community schools are part of re-imagining how we can make sure our children get the education they deserve. These schools tap into community resources to ensure that when children go to school, they are ready to learn and their families are prepared to support learning. Students and their families are able to access a wide range of services – from early childhood programs, to health clinics and dental care, to English lessons and career advice for parents. These services remove serious obstacles that would prevent children from succeeding.
We can compete with anybody in the world, frankly, given the proper environment. And I’ve talked to numerous members of the corporate community. I've talked to labor. I've talked to the National Association of Manufacturers. And we are going to pursue this Make It In America agenda because Americans know that we need to be focused on jobs, on expanding opportunity and providing for good wages and good benefits for working American families so they can provide a good life for themselves and their families. And as a consequence of doing so we'll create communities and states and a nation which will be and continue to be the envy of the world.
Now, the fact of the matter is this is a lousy way to run a railroad. We are trying to run the largest enterprise in the world in two-week segments. It is costly to the private sector. It is extraordinarily inefficient for the public sector, and it is demoralizing for the private sector who deals with the government and for the public employees we have asked to perform the service that is we have set forth as policy. And so I say at this juncture, this ought to be the last of this type. We need to reach agreement.
Today the House will consider a short term continuing resolution to fund the government for the next three weeks. Democrats continue to call on Republicans to cut and compromise on a measure that funds the government for the full year so that we prevent a shutdown and stop funding the government in week-by-week increments, which is inefficient and disruptive to the private and public sector.
"But there is a sure sign of someone who does not take those problems seriously: disparaging and scapegoating public servants, instead of taking on the real challenges...
We cannot continue funding government week by week. It is disruptive and wastes taxpayer money, and it causes significant uncertainty for the private sector. That is why it is imperative for Republicans to put forward a new long-term measure and tell us where they are willing to compromise. They don’t have any excuses left: the Senate rejected House Republicans’ reckless and arbitrary spending cuts, which would have cost thousands of jobs and harmed our economy. And using their own measure - $100 billion in cuts – Democrats have already offered to meet them more than halfway. So it’s time for Republicans to step up and put something new on the table.
Now, we're looking for a counteroffer because we don't agree with some of H.R. 1, as you well know. As a matter of fact, every conservative Democrat, every liberal Democrat and everybody in between voted no on H.R. 1, as did three of your Republicans over there and Susan Collins, who voted for it, said she didn't like the elements in it. So what I am saying to my friend, very sincerely, is he can preach all he wants that we need to cut spending. We agree with that. And the issue is where do you cut it from? What impact does it have? Does it sustain the economy or does it deflate the economy? Does it create jobs or does it lose jobs? Does it help people who need help or does it abandon people who need help? That's the issue.
In recent weeks, I’ve come to the floor to argue that the Republican spending plan does two extremely harmful things: it weakens our economy and fails to seriously reduce our debt. Democrats agree that cutting spending is part of the solution to our deficit problem—but we also believe that cuts should be smart and targeted, not reckless.
Now that the Senate has failed to pass either the Republican spending bill or the Democrats’ compromise measure, it is time for negotiations on a long-term solution to continue. Democrats have come more than halfway to Republicans' demand of 100 billion in spending cuts, and yet Republicans have so far refused to move an inch from their one and only proposal. Since their proposal has failed in the Senate, Republicans must now put forward a real compromise measure that backs away from their reckless and arbitrary spending cuts that would cost thousands of jobs. We need to make smart spending cuts while protecting investments in our nation’s future.