Washington, D.C.—Today, Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Chairman of the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee (JEC), released the following statement in response to President Biden’s State of the Union address:
“As President Biden described tonight, the state of our nation’s economy is strong. We’ve seen some of the fastest job growth in decades, coupled with low unemployment, rising wages, and falling inflation. I’m encouraged by the work this administration has done, and that Democrats in Congress have done, to build our economy and make it work for everyone.
“We’ve delivered historic investments in infrastructure and manufacturing through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and more. I agree with the President that we must continue to invest in job training and apprenticeships to allow workers to seize new opportunities in clean energy and other growing fields. As the proud son of an IBEW lineman, I know what these types of good-paying, union jobs can do for families.
“We also need to build upon this administration’s progress to further lower costs for American families. When families were struggling with rapidly rising prices, mega-corporations were raking in record profits. President Biden and Congressional Democrats are working to lower prices and increase competition – from the checkout lane at the grocery store, to prescription drug costs at your local pharmacy, to college tuition to educate the next generation.
“In his speech, President Biden acknowledged the challenges that many families continue to face. Democrats and Republicans in Congress must come together to make childcare, health care, and housing more affordable and accessible for families across the country.
“The President reminded us tonight that America is a story of progress, possibilities, and resilience. Our work together to make this nation and our economy even stronger is a chapter in that story that I am proud to be part of.”
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About Chairman Martin Heinrich
U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich has served the people of New Mexico in the United States Senate since 2012. In addition to his role as Chairman of the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee, Heinrich also serves as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food and Drug Administration on the Senate Appropriations Committee, and as a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Prior to his election to the U.S. Senate, Heinrich served two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, four years as an Albuquerque City Councilor, as New Mexico’s Natural Resources Trustee, and in AmeriCorps with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
About the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee
The U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee is Congress’s bicameral economic think tank. It was created when Congress passed the Employment Act of 1946. Under this Act, Congress established two advisory panels: the President's Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) and the JEC. Their primary tasks are to review economic conditions and to recommend improvements in economic policy. Chairmanship of the JEC alternates between the Senate and House every Congress.
