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.
A key component of House Democrats’ Make It In America jobs plan is taking action to ensure that our trading partners are playing fair. President Obama has made this an important part of our trade policy and approach to economic competitiveness, and I applaud the diligence with which his Administration, including U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, has successfully pursued this case before the World Trade Organization. This ruling will discourage companies from relocating to China to take advantage of artificially-cheap raw materials, and it will help American manufacturers compete with China’s producers and create jobs here at home.
CBO’s Budget and Economic Outlook released today reveals what Americans already know: we have to get Americans back to work, and we have to get our fiscal house in order by reaching a big and balanced deficit reduction plan this year. Such a plan requires both getting a handle on spending and raising revenue. It is clear from the CBO’s forecast that allowing the Bush tax cuts to expire for the wealthiest Americans can be a part of that solution. Real and effective deficit reduction should be based on the principle that everyone should pay their fair share. I hope Republicans work with Democrats to take the steps we need as a nation to get us back on a sound fiscal path.
With less than a month left to take action on expiring items, Democrats are focused on extending middle class tax cuts and unemployment assistance, and fixing the Medicare physician pay rate. The American people cannot afford for Republicans to walk away from these expiring provisions like they did last December.
The empty resolutions Republicans have put forward in order to draw an artificial contrast between the parties will only succeed in showing Americans the real difference between those in Congress who want to play games and those of us who want to get to work tackling our pressing challenges, including job creation and deficit reduction. I hope Republicans will use tonight’s State of the Union address as an opportunity to set their games aside and begin working with Democrats on the important tasks we have before us.
Tonight the President will deliver his State of the Union address to Congress, and discuss his “Blueprint for an America Built to Last,” a plan that will emphasize four pillars to support economic revitalization: American values, American manufacturing, American energy and skills for American workers. These pillars line up with House Democrats’ Make It In America plan, which aims to support job creation by cultivating an encouraging environment for businesses to innovate and make products here in the U.S.
According to a new poll by The Washington Post and ABC News, 84% of Americans disapprove of the way Congress is doing its job. I don't know that the other 16% are paying attention, because we're not doing our job well. And this certainly is not doing our job well. The reason it's not doing our job well is because it is a pretense. A sham. This legislation is to pay bills that we've already incurred. Whether it was incurred with your votes or our votes, we have incurred those expenses.
As the second session of the 112th Congress gets underway, there is just over one month to take action on critical provisions to extend middle class tax cuts, unemployment assistance, and the Medicare physician pay rate. We do not have time for the political games House Republicans played last month, when they walked away from the American people, putting middle class tax cuts, unemployment insurance, and seniors’ access to their doctors at risk. Some Republicans have indicated they will change course this time around so we can get our work done – but actions speak louder than words, and it’s time for them sit down at the negotiating table and reach an agreement.
Today marks the beginning of the second session of the 112th Congress, and another opportunity for Republicans to abandon their ideological agenda and focus on jobs and reducing the deficit. Instead of putting forward a comprehensive jobs plan or taking meaningful action on the deficit, so far, House Republicans have led a do-nothing Congress.
This morning’s announcement that our economy added 200,000 jobs in December, bringing our unemployment rate down to 8.5%, is a sign of progress and provides further evidence that our economy is recovering. However, while we have now experienced twenty-two straight months of private sector job growth, too many Americans remain out of work.
U.S. manufacturing grew at its fastest pace in six months in December, and producers appeared poised to keep boosting output to replenish empty shelves in coming months.