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.
First of all, let us lament the fact that we are not considering on the floor today a jobs bill. Now, I understand that my friend from Kentucky believes this affects jobs. He may well be right. It does affect jobs in the short term. In fact, as the gentleman knows, one of the regulations that's the subject of legislation this week has been stayed until next year. And the EPA is working very closely with the cement industry and particular individuals in the cement industry to try to work towards an implementation which they can in fact comply with.
Make It In America does mean success but Make It In America also means make it in America – manufacture it in America, grow it in America, sell it here and around the world. So that we can build our manufacturing sector, grow jobs in the manufacturing sector, and make sure our inventors, innovators, and developers don't migrate, as some fear, overseas where products are being taken to scale. So we believe that focusing it making it America so that the label will read ‘Made in America’ is very important as we grow our economy, sustain that growth over time and provide the kind of good paying jobs with good benefits that Americans need and want.
Last week, Members of Congress were back in our districts listening to constituents and exchanging ideas about how to fix our economy. They heard the same message again and again. Right now, this country is in real trouble, and our greatest challenge is creating jobs. Not just any jobs but good jobs, high-paying jobs that will help more of our people 'make it' in America. To do so, we will have to invest in education, innovation, and creating the conditions for businesses to launch and expand. The best way to do it is to reinvigorate the sector of our economy that 'makes things,' because strong manufacturing can yield benefits across our economy. That is what Make It In America is all about.
By standing united, Democrats helped ensure that the continuing resolution brought to the Floor and passed today does not cut jobs or put disaster relief funds at risk like the partisan bill first offered by Republicans did. Now that we have taken action to keep the government running through November 18th, we must focus on the top priorities of the American people: creating jobs and bringing down the deficit in a balanced way. I sincerely hope that in the coming weeks we will work together to meet the challenges facing our nation.
With no comprehensive jobs plan and little action taken to help put more Americans back to work, Republicans signaled willingness in September to find common ground on job creation after hearing from their constituents over August that they wanted to see bipartisan cooperation.
As the fiscal year comes to an end today, it’s time for a fiscal new year’s resolution to bring down our nation’s deficit in a balanced way and restore fiscal responsibility. Democrats are committed to deficit reduction, and it will require tough choices for both parties as well as shared sacrifice by all Americans.
Our students represent a generation of abundant promise. We can help them reach their full potential by making critical investments today, and this includes providing greater resources to teachers, engaging more parents, and turning around failing schools.
What Democrats Were Doing To Support Job Creation Last Year:
A year ago today, President Obama signed the Small Business Jobs Act into law, expanding much needed lending to millions of small businesses and offering tax incentives to help small businesses grow, hire, and fuel our economy, without adding a dime to the deficit.
What Republicans Are Doing To Support Job Creation This Year:
Today, Leader Reid offered unanimous consent, which essentially adopted the agreement we made in very tough negotiations over the debt limit and an agreement that emergencies like natural disasters needed additional headroom. There was an agreement that we would have additional spending if we were faced with a disaster. In the House debate, clearly everyone understood that we were faced with the disasters.
This is a legislative arena, not a coliseum to attack one another. It is a legislative arena to try to come together and do what the American public expect us to do.