Joint Economic Committee Democrats released a new report today on the clean energy economy and its increasingly important role in the American economy. The clean energy economy encompasses energy generation through renewable sources and activities related to improving energy efficiency, building alternative fuel vehicles and constructing and operating the smart grid.

I am deeply disappointed that my Republican colleagues chose to invite a witness to testify who has questioned the intelligence of minorities and women. This is beyond offensive and out of touch. While the topic of social capital is important, giving someone like Mr. Murray a platform is irresponsible. We should instead have a productive discussion focused on making sure that all Americans have a fair shot at getting ahead.

Now, a group of congressional Democrats say they have a better solution for what ails the vast stretches of the country outside the cities and suburbs. Among other things, they oppose President Trump's plan to use public-private partnerships to carry out $1 trillion in infrastructure investment over a decade. "Wall Street investors and private equity firms are going to put money, time and resources where they can make a big profit," and that's not the countryside, Senator Martin Heinrich, the top Democrat on Congress's Joint Economic Committee, wrote in remarks prepared for the release of a report called Understanding Economic Challenges in Rural America.

The Trump administration since the election has shifted the conversation on investing in U.S. infrastructure toward public-private partnerships and tax credits for corporations, but that isn't always a realistic way to meet rural America's needs, Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) said today.