Dems on the Job - September Edition
September 29, 2017
This month, House Democrats kept the drum beating on their bold economic agenda A Better Deal: Better Jobs, Better Wages, Better Future by introducing two new planks to increase jobs for hard-working Americans. Democrats proposed the Child Care for Working Families Act to offer affordable child care and early learning, as well as a universal high-speed internet initiative to increase accessibility in rural community.
These proposals are part of Democrats' focus on creating jobs, raising wages, and improving the lives of hard-working Americans. Below is a sample of the activities that Members led in September:
LEGISLATION:
On September 8th, Congresswoman Julia Brownley reintroduced the Biliteracy Education Seal and Teaching (BEST) Act. The bill establishes a federal grant program to help states establish a Biliteracy Seal program that encourages and recognizes high school students who achieve proficiency in English and a second language, in preparation for the global workforce.
On September 13th, Congressman Ro Khanna and Senator Sherrod Brown introduced the Grow American Incomes Now (GAIN) Act which would greatly expand the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) so that more working families and childless workers are eligible to receive it.
On September 15th, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce Bobby Scott, Co-Chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee David Cicilline and Congressman Jared Polis unveiled the Child Care for Working Families Act, a new plank of Democrats' A Better Deal agenda. This comprehensive child care and early learning legislation will ensure that every child has access to high-quality early learning and care.
On September 15th, Congressman Bobby Scott, Ranking Member of the Education and Workforce Committee introduced the Direct Creation, Advancement, and Retention of Employment (CARE) Opportunity Act to invest in and support direct care workers and the people they serve.
On September 26th, Congressman Mark Pocan and 223 bipartisan cosponsors called for the introduction of the Perkins Loans Extension Act which would allow students to access much-needed financial aid allowing for education they need for good paying jobs.
On September 26th, Congresswoman Maxine Waters introduced Transportation Infrastructure for Job Creation Act and the Drinking Water Infrastructure for Job Creation Act to provide emergency supplemental appropriations totaling $15 billion over the next six years for job creation through investments in infrastructure.
BRIEFINGS, HEARINGS, AND EVENTS
Weekly Address: Congressman Jim Himes, Chair of the New Democrat Coalition, delivered the Democratic Weekly Address highlighting Democrats' fight to expand economic opportunity to all hard-working American families with A Better Deal: Better Jobs, Better Wages, Better Future.
Hearing: On September 6th, the Committee on Education and Workforce held a hearing on the sharing economy where Democrats championed both innovation and worker protections.
Briefing: On September 12th, Congressman John Conyers held a bicameral briefing on the history of the Federal Reserve's full employment mandate which has enabled has enabled policymakers to prioritize concerns about unemployment and labor market strength.
Event: On September 13th, Democratic Women's Working Group Co-Chairs Lois Frankel, Brenda Lawrence and Jackie Speier held a symposium Creating the Conditions for Minority Women Entrepreneurs to Succeed to discuss core issues and identify sustainable solutions that would impact and strengthen entrepreneurship and business ownership for minority women.
Periscope Live Discussion: On September 13th, Jobs For America Task Force held a live discussion highlighting their initiatives to create more jobs.
Hearing: On September 13th, Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions (HELP) and the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections held a joint subcommittee hearing in opposition to the ‘Save Local Business Act' which would dismantle legal protections workers have relied on for decades, creating chaos and uncertainty for workers.
Hearing: On September 27th, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Ways & Means Committee Ranking Member Richard Neal, Ways and Means Committee Democrats and experts for a Tax Reform Forum to discuss the Ryan-McConnell tax framework and ways to improve the tax code to help working families.
Press Conference: On September 28th, DPCC Co-Chair Cheri Bustos, Congresswoman Terri Sewell, Congressman Rick Nolan and Congresswoman Ann Kuster held a press conference to introduce a tenant of Democrats' A Better Deal economic agenda – A Better Deal: Universal High-Speed Internet. The plan proposes to bring high-speed, affordable internet to every American especially in rural communities.
OP-EDS & LETTERS
Op-Ed: Congressman Bobby Scott, Ranking Member on the Committee on Education and Workforce wrote an op-ed in the Huffington Post – This Labor Day, The Right To Organize Still Protects Dignity In The Workplace. The op-ed calls for measures to address workers wage stagnation and protections for workers to unionize to collectively bargain for better pay. (9/1/17)
Op-Ed: Congressman David Cicilline, Co-Chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, and Congressman John Sarbanes, Chair of the Democracy Reform Task Force, wrote an op-ed in The Hill – Renewing our republic: Putting the priorities of everyday people ahead of special interests. The piece highlights A Better Deal and calls getting special interests and money out of politics.