Skip to main content

Joint Economic Committee Democrats

Issue Briefs

Jun 21 2023

Pride Month: Keeping Up the Fight for LGBTQI+ Rights

LGBTQI+ advocates and leaders have moved us towards a more inclusive society and economy. Unfortunately, continued right-wing attacks on LGBTQI+ rights and safety jeopardize this progress as they seek to further institutionalize discrimination in the labor market, schools, and elsewhere. While the Biden administration has engaged in major efforts to protect this community, Congress must do more to help ensure LGBTQI+ equality.

Jun 16 2023

State by State Fact Sheets: May Employment Data

Each month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) releases national and state-level data on U.S. employment, which provide useful information about the state of the labor market and progress toward building a better America. To highlight key trends in the monthly data, the Joint Economic Committee compiles state-by-state fact sheets for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The most recent state-level data, which cover the month of April, were released on June 16, 2023. The latest national data were released on June 2, 2023.

Jun 09 2023

Climate Change Makes Air Quality Worse Across the Country, With Devastating Effects on our Health

Climate change is making air quality worse around the country and across the globe, which is directly making people sicker. Within the United States, one clear and visible cause of poor air quality are the more frequent, destructive, and longer-lasting wildfires that fill the air with harmful smoke, including particulate matter.

Since the 1980s, but especially in recent decades, western states have felt the increasing negative impacts of wildfires, as they burn for longer and with more frequency. The smoke that blanketed the eastern United States this week underscores that the impacts of climate change and the fires it exacerbates will be felt nationwide.

Jun 07 2023

The EPA’s New Standards for Fossil Fuel Power Plants Will Improve Public Health While Tackling the Climate Crisis

Carbon pollution not only impacts the climate but the health of communities. Ensuring we have clean air will improve lives and pay dividends for the U.S. economy. On May 11, 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed new carbon pollution standards for coal and natural gas-fired power plants, which will deliver up to $85 billion in climate and public health benefits over the next two decades. These standards will reduce carbon dioxide emissions and other pollutants from new and existing power plants, helping the United States achieve its climate goals while ensuring that people can breathe clean air. Importantly, the EPA estimates that these updated rules will have little impact on families’ electricity bills.