In Their Own Words: House Democrats Offer Hard-Working Americans 'A Better Deal'
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Rep. Alma Adams "North Carolinians deserve A Better Deal that puts them first – not failed proposals from President Trump that tilt the playing field in favor of corporations and the super-rich." [Press Release, 7/24/17]
Rep. Karen Bass "It's time for Congress to get its priorities straight and give our communities what they need. We've got to move past solely responding to the president's recklessness. When Republicans talk about repealing the Affordable Care Act, they're talking about not only ripping health care away from millions, but also taking away jobs. That's where we need to focus. Democrats are working to bring better jobs and wages for a better future." [Press Release, 7/24/17]
DPCC Co-Chair Cheri Bustos "The truth is, across America, there are millions of hardworking men and women who have been left behind. They don't want a handout, and they don't want our sympathy. They simply want the government and corporations to stop working against them." [Press Release, 7/25/17]
DPCC Co-Chair David Cicilline "With A Better Deal, America will once again value honest, hard work by investing in the American worker. We will help 10 million Americans find good-paying, full-time jobs that allow them to provide for their families, buy a home, give their kids a better life, and save for a secure retirement. We'll create these jobs by putting Americans back to work rebuilding our bridges, roads, and transportation networks. The American people deserve a government that is fighting for them." [Press Release, 7/25/17]
Caucus Chair Joseph Crowley "Americans want to know what we stand for and what our vision is for the country. The ‘Better Deal' agenda makes it clear – Democrats want to create new jobs and ensure a stronger economy and brighter future for all Americans. Our ‘Better Deal' is more than rhetoric. It lays out specific policies Democrats are fighting to enact, and it shows how committed Democrats are to advancing the middle class and working families." [Press Release, 7/24/17]
Rep. Adriano Espaillat "The American people deserve A Better Deal that puts them first – not tired, failed Republican plans that tilt the playing field in favor of corporations and the super-rich. Democrats are proud to unveil ambitious, fresh thinking to provide solutions to create a brighter, more secure economic future for Americans. [Press Release, 7/24/17]
Rep. Lois Frankel "Too many families are struggling, feeling they have been left behind in a system that's rigged against them. They are living paycheck to paycheck and fighting to put food on the table, or send their kids off to college. The American people deserve a better deal that offers a brighter, more secure economic future." [Press Release, 7/24/17]
Rep. Colleen Hanabusa "The reality is, while the costs of living have been rising, families' incomes and wages have failed to keep up. As a result, the average American is working harder to maintain their position in society. It has been six months since the inauguration of President Trump and even with full control of the legislative process, Republicans have not done a single thing to create good-paying jobs, raise the wages of hard-working Americans or rein in health costs." [Press Release, 7/24/17]
Rep. Jim Himes "The key of what you saw release this morning and what will be discussed in Virginia later on today is really a laser-like focus on the economic well-being, the jobs, the job security, the possibility for opportunity in middle class families all over this country." [Video, 7/24/17]
DPCC Co-Chair Hakeem Jeffries "For many Americans, wages have failed to keep up with the rate of inflation, with the rising cost of living, and with the aspirations of the American people to provide a better future for their children and grandchildren. The A Better Deal economic agenda will aggressively address the problem of wage stagnation by incentivizing companies to raise worker pay and breaking up monopolies that artificially suppress wages. Democrats will not rest until the American people get a better deal, better jobs, better wages and a better future." [Press Release, 7/24/17]
Rep. Ro Khanna "The U.S. economy is moving from the industrial to the digital age, and Congress must take bold, transformational action to make sure every American can participate regardless of zip code. I look forward to working with my Democratic colleagues on fleshing out the specifics of a new economic vision. This includes job training programs, economic development initiatives, re-wiring the U.S. labor market, Medicare for all, and debt-free college to help working families prepare for the future." [Press Release, 7/24/17]
Rep. Dan Kildee "Michiganders want Congress to work on issues that affect their lives. In Michigan, there is a lot of anxiety about what the future of our country looks like. People are worried about stagnant wages, their children's future, and not being able to save enough money for retirement. For too long, the deck has been stacked in favor of the richest Americans. Corporations have been allowed to spend unlimited amounts of money to influence our elections and protect their own special interests. My constituents know the system is rigged because they are working harder than ever, but their paychecks are less and their bills keep going up. Congress needs to focus on bold ideas to address this rigged system and to provide a better deal for middle-class families." [Press Release, 7/24/17]
Rep. Barbara Lee "It's very clear the Republicans stand for millionaires and billionaires. We're trying to make sure the public understands we're there fighting to make sure they have the skills and education necessary to compete in the global economy so they can have better standard of living for their family." [Video, 7/24/17]
Rep. Doris Matsui "We're calling for investments in our nation's infrastructure, in apprenticeship programs that open up access to good paying jobs, and in advanced research to unleash innovation. Americans who work hard and play by the rules shouldn't be crushed by prescription drug costs, student loan debt, or child care costs. The graduate student who is working two jobs to pay for student loans deserves a better deal. The parent struggling to afford childcare and put food on the table deserves a better deal. The couple that has saved their entire lives for retirement deserves a better deal." [Press Release, 7/24/17]
Rep. Betty McCollum "Democrats are ready to invest in modern infrastructure, the roads, bridges, and transit system of tomorrow. And we want to expand high-speed internet to every corner of America. These investments will move our economy forward and support millions of jobs. Democrats will put your families first by cracking down on unfair foreign trade, corporations that ship jobs overseas, and drug companies that gouge patients. In the heartland, we expect our leaders to respond to the challenges we face rather than catering to billionaires and Wall Street" [Video, 7/28/17]
Rep. Gregory Meeks "We will continue to fight for the middle-class, for seniors, and for all of those who lost something, or everything, because of the financial crisis. That is why we have put out agenda- to show hard-working Americans that we stand with them, and not special interests" [Press Release, 7/25/17]
Rep. Donald Norcross "Families in New Jersey and across the country are struggling to make ends meet, with stagnant wages and rising costs, and Democrats are fighting for a better deal. By raising wages and focusing on the jobs of the future, we are rising above the dysfunction in Washington and offering a real plan for America's families. I owe my path to an apprenticeship, to technical training – it's what took me from Community College to construction work to Congress. In New Jersey alone, nine out of the ten fastest-growing occupations require either a certificate or on-the-job-training. Democrats realize this career path should be embraced and replicated – and that's why I stand strongly behind this agenda." [Press Release, 7/24/17]
Rep. Jose Serrano "The American people deserve A Better Deal that puts them first – not a recycling of the tired, failed Republican proposals that tilt the playing field in favor of corporations and the super-rich. I am proud to join my fellow Democrats to unveil this new ambitious proposal to provide real solutions to create a brighter, more secure economic future for Americans." [Press Release, 7/25/17]
Rep. Frederica Wilson "For the past six months, President Donald J. Trump and Republicans in both chambers of Congress have made it painfully clear that big business and the wealthiest Americans are their top priority. They have demonstrated their disregard for the welfare of low- and middle-income Americans' well-being in myriad ways, from rollbacks of measures that protect the safety of the air we breathe and the water we drink to a losing battle to diminish or demolish access to the quality, affordable health care they've come to rely on. Democrats are making hardworking Americans an offer that puts them first." [Press Release, 7/28/17]