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.
"Today’s jobs report confirms that America’s economy is moving forward. With 104,000 private sector jobs added in September and our unemployment rate dropping below 8% for the first time in almost four years, more Americans are heading back to work for the thirty-first consecutive month as our recovery continues. After losing over 4 million jobs in the final year of the previous administration alone, our economy has turned a corner, adding nearly 2 million jobs over just the last 12 months.
“Thank you Madam Leader. We met today and as so often been the case, the Speaker representing the Republican party walked away. He walked away when we asked for unanimous consent to proceed on some important business, or at least to talk about it.
“I thank the Leader for yielding and I want to simply say that once again we have this morning a demonstration of Republicans walking out on the American people – not on us.
“Today’s manufacturing report from the Institute for Supply Management reveals that manufacturing continues to be a bright spot during our economic recovery, expanding in 35 of the last 38 months and adding jobs for 36 consecutive months. But the recent contraction in the sector makes clear that Congress must take action to help our businesses compete and reduce economic uncertainty so we can ensure this positive outlook continues for our nation’s manufacturers. Congress cannot afford to wait to consider a comprehensive jobs plan, like House Democrats’ Make It In America plan, that invests in and supports this manufacturing growth.
House Republicans may be able to put their jobs in the Capitol out of sight and out of mind, but Democrats will continue to remind them of the long list of unfinished legislation they abandoned when they left for recess. Today, Congressmen Chris Van Hollen and Henry Waxman were on the House Floor to remind House Republicans of the critical legislation they left undone.
MESSAGE FROM THE DEMOCRATIC WHIP
Today, House Republicans left town without completing a long list of unfinished business. Instead of working on behalf of the American people to pass a comprehensive jobs bill, extend middle class tax cuts, pass a Farm Bill, reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, or agree to Postal Reform, Republicans decided to put politics ahead of policy. On their last day of session before the election, the Republica
“Our Republican colleagues are leaving without getting their work done. I say their work done. Without getting our work done. The work of the American people. Comprehensive jobs bills, middle-class tax cuts have not been extended, farmers are left on their own to face the worst drought in decades, … and a Farm bill reported out of the Republican committee lays unconsidered by this Floor. Reported out of their committee from their majority and they haven't brought it to the Floor while farmers remain in trouble. We've not re-authorized the Violence Against Women Act, and we have not passed a postal reform bill. I am glad to take this special order, Mr. Speaker, to say to the American people that we're prepared to stay. we're prepared to stay and work on these bills.”
"What we are seeing this week is a convulsing end to a dismal Congress. Two distinguished political scientists [Tom Mann and Norman Ornstein] in our country said this: 'The GOP has become an insurgent outlier in American politics. It is ideologically extreme; scornful of compromise; unmoved by conventional understanding of facts, evidence and science; and dismissive of the legitimacy of its political opposition.'
“Mr. Speaker, in order to compete in today’s global economy, we need to attract the best and brightest math and science students from around the world.