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.
With stock markets climbing and recent economic growth strong, the Bureau of Labor Statistics jobs report for August shows that employers are still struggling with uncertainty exacerbated by gridlock in Congress and a Republican House Majority that refuses to work across the aisle in a serious effort to promote fiscal sustainability, invest in job growth, or make our tax code more competitive.
The Export-Import Bank is one of the most important tools we have for helping American small businesses access foreign markets, and Congress must not allow its authorization to expire on September 30 and place over 200,000 export-dependent jobs in danger.
Thank you, Rep. [Gregory] Meeks, not only for your introduction but for your leadership on the issue of drawing the United States and Africa closer. One message from this extraordinary gathering of the last few days is that, although Africa faces many challenges, it is a continent of opportunity.
Our economy continues to show its resilience, even in the face of the uncertainty exacerbated by gridlock in the Republican-led Congress.
I am disappointed that a handful of Republican Senators have blocked the Bring Jobs Home Act from moving forward in that chamber, in spite of it securing a majority of votes.
It is welcome news this morning that our economy grew much more than expected following slowed growth in the first quarter of the year, showing the continued resilience of our workforce, entrepreneurs, and consumers.
As we prepare to head into the August District Work Period, House Republicans are wasting time on political stunts and ignoring the priorities the American people care about – including jobs.
As we mark the 50th anniversary of President Johnson declaring an unconditional ‘War on Poverty,’ and in the aftermath of a recession that hit the lowest income Americans very, very hard, we ought to take stock on how best to alleviate poverty in America in the twenty-first century.
As Republicans hold a hearing today once again claiming that the Dodd-Frank law has ruined the American economy, financial system, and capitalism as we know it, there’s just one basic question you should ask yourself: How much has your retirement savings gone up since Dodd-Frank was signed into law? Let’s take a look.
This morning, Budget Chairman Paul Ryan unveiled his “anti-poverty” proposal. In case you missed it, the Ways and Means Committee released a few questions for Mr. Ryan as he prepared to reveal his big plan.