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.
This week marks National Small Business Week (May 20-26), recognizing the many small businesses across the nation that are our economy’s job-creating engine. As the economy continues to improve, Democrats have consistently proposed policies that support small businesses.
Wanted to make sure you all saw this op-ed in Roll Call today by Stan Collender on Speaker Boehner’s “exceptionally irresponsible” demands that he will allow the U.S. to default on its obligations unless he gets exactly what he wants.
Wanted to make sure you all saw this editorial in today’s New York Times about the unrealistic and unhelpful debt limit marker Speaker Boehner laid down yesterday. Make no mistake; if the country is once again pushed to the brink of default, it will be because Speaker Boehner and Congressional Republicans are once again choosing confrontation over compromise.
You would think Republicans would avoid bringing our nation to the brink of default once again, but a year later Speaker Boehner is putting forward the same partisan strategy that resulted in our nation’s first credit downgrade:
“In other words, welcome to déjà vu all over again.”
Even though Speaker Boehner has spent the day blaming Democrats for our current deficit problem, the numbers—and the charts—tell a very different story. Today, TPM breaks down the real reasons for our exploding national debt. Here’s a hint: It isn’t the policies of President Obama or Congressional Democrats.
I am pleased that the Senate passed the reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank that the House approved last week. This bipartisan legislation will enable the Export-Import Bank to continue helping American businesses remain competitive in overseas markets, which will, in turn, provide manufacturers with greater certainty that they can invest in growth and create well paying jobs here in our country.
Since taking the House majority, Republicans have chosen confrontation over compromise, choosing to move to the extreme right instead of moving to the middle and finding common ground. For over a year, Republicans have refused to work with Democrats, clinging to their partisan stance and walking away.
“I opposed this appropriations bill for several reasons, chief among them that it is not consistent with the bipartisan agreement reached in August on spending levels. Breaking that agreement is just one more sign that this House Republican conference is simply unwilling to compromise or work with Democrats to find solutions to our challenges.
Mr. Speaker, the challenging times we live in force us to make difficult choices about our priorities. The reconciliation bill before us today is an example of choosing the wrong priorities.
Democrats are committed to a deficit reduction plan that asks all Americans to contribute their fair share and prevents sequestration from occurring through a balanced mix of spending cuts and revenues. Unfortunately, the Republican plan is not balanced and makes the wrong choices by ending the Medicare guarantee and targeting the most vulnerable among us, while cutting taxes for millionaires and billionaires.