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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.


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MESSAGE FROM THE DEMOCRATIC WHIP

This week marked the beginning of civilian Defense Department employee furloughs, which are the result of Congress’ failure to replace the arbitrary and untargeted spending cuts known as the sequester.  These furloughs undermine their ability to support our war-fighters and impede our ability to recruit and retain the qualified federal workforce our nation needs and expects.

This week, furloughs caused by the sequester went into effect for the civilian employees at the Department of Defense, forcing these middle-class workers, who help keep our nation safe and assist our war-fighters, to accept a 20 percent pay cut.  Unfortunately, they aren’t the only victims of the sequester.  Yesterday, the National Journal explained how the poorest people in our country are seeing some of the greater impact of these across-the-boa

“This side of the aisle believes the passage of the farm bill is very, very important. It's important for our agricultural interests, for our farmers. We believe it's very important for those who are relying on nutritional programs and support from us.”

Beginning this week, civilian employees in the Department of Defense will be furloughed for a total of 11 days from now through the end of the fiscal year as a result of sequestration.  Because of House Republicans’ refusal to work towards a big and balanced deficit reduction agreement that ends the sequester and puts us on a long-term, fiscally sustainable path, middle-class workers across the country will see their pay reduced, face job insecurity, and will contribute less to local economies.

“The jobs report for June reaffirms that our economic recovery is continuing to move forward, even while manufacturers and other businesses still face uncertainty resulting from a lack of clear fiscal and job-growth policies set by Congress and as a consequence of the irrational sequester

“Today marks the 100th day since the Senate passed its budget resolution, providing Speaker Boehner with the opportunity to follow regular order and appoint House Republican conferees to begin negotiations on a final version of the budget for FY2014. 

“I am encouraged that our manufacturing sector grew in June, but the uncertainty manufacturers continue to face as a result of the irrational sequester and Congress’s failure to achieve a big, balanced solution to deficits still hampers their ability to invest, expand, and create jobs.

And predictably, House Republicans learn exactly the wrong lesson from their Farm bill failure.

As POLITICO explains:

“As I have said repeatedly since the House passed its budget nearly 100 days ago, Speaker Boehner has no excuse for his refusal to finish our work on a budget – a goal Republicans once shared.

“Mr. Speaker, tomorrow the Majority party is set to recess this House for a week, leaving in place the economy-stifling and irrational policy of sequester. We talked about the greatest generation. I fear that this generation's going to be the greediest generation – is not going to leave our children the great economy that was left to us but will leave an economy that is limping because of policies that we pursued and the debt that we have incurred.