The Joint Economic Committee provides Members of Congress with timely State Economic Snapshots – a detailed look at key economic measures in each state.  Over the past seven years, the Bush administration’s economic policies have made it more and more difficult for the vast majority of Americans across all states to get ahead.  Under this administration, there has been a sharp divergence between the fortunes of companies and the paychecks of their workers.  The slow growth in wages has been compounded by the growing demands on families’ pocketbooks, caused by the high costs of health care, energy, childcare, and college tuition.  Democrats are pushing for a new direction in economic policy, aimed at restoring broad-based growth, reducing high costs of health care and energy, and increasing prosperity and retirement.