Across the nation, access to high-speed internet continues to expand. But millions of homes still lack access, and these gaps vary widely regionally. In 22 states, at least 10 percent of residents have no high-speed options. In 6 states—Alaska, Arkansas, Mississippi, Montana, Oklahoma, and Wyoming—more than 1 in 5 residents lack access. Rural areas in particular lag behind, as 23 million rural residents still lack access to high-speed broadband. Access rates for all 50 states and the District of Columbia are available in the JEC’s latest state economic snapshots.
Mar 16 2018
February Economic Snapshot of the States
Although the U.S. economy overall continues its expansion following the Great Recession and associated financial crisis, the recovery can look very different from state to state. The lion’s share of economic gains are not only concentrated at the top of the income and wealth distribution, but also in a small share of regions. While some parts of the country have surged ahead, millions of Americans in urban and rural communities are still waiting for their wages to start rising again and struggling to make ends meet.
Mar 13 2018
Evidence Mounts Against GOP Tax Scam
Republicans have promised again and again that the corporate tax cuts they just passed would lead to wage increases for workers. So far, that’s not happening. And history suggests it won’t.
Mar 12 2018
Senate Democrats Release Infrastructure Proposal
Senate Democrats released an infrastructure proposal that would help repair and modernize the nation’s deteriorating infrastructure systems. Included in the plan is $140 billion to shore up the Highway Trust Fund (HTF). The Trump administration, on the other hand, has proposed an infrastructure plan that will generate little to no new infrastructure spending, and a budget that would cut $122 billion in HTF spending. This would result in vital highway and transit projects across the country going unfunded or being delayed, and the nation’s infrastructure falling further into disrepair.
Mar 09 2018
President Trump Job Tracker February 2018
Joint Economic Committee Democratic staff are comparing job growth each month to the average in the late 1990s (a boom time in the economy), but also to the best individual month each series has ever seen.
Mar 07 2018
INTERACTIVE: What Could You Do With $193,000?
One member of the super-rich (top 0.1%) gets $193,000 on average from the GOP Tax Scam in 2018. With $193,000, a typical American family could afford…
Just 10 years after the worst financial crisis in over a century, the Senate is considering a bill that would dramatically roll back important market protections on our nation’s largest banks. The Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (S.2155) would undo many of the safeguards put in place under Dodd-Frank, threatening to once again leave Main Street on the hook for poor decisions on Wall Street.
The Senate will soon take up consideration of the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (S.2155), which leaves out key consumer reforms and would weaken important protections that ensure Americans are treated fairly in financial markets. Here are 10 ways consumers are left behind:
Warren Buffett’s annual letter to shareholders disclosed that Berkshire Hathaway reaped a massive gain as a result of the Republican tax reform passed in December. As Buffett wrote, “a large portion of our gain did not come from anything we accomplished at Berkshire.” Rather, $29 billion was handed out to Berkshire Hathaway, a large, highly successful investment company that hardly needs the help.
Most companies that have made announcements on how they are using their tax savings are planning to pass those savings directly to shareholders in the form of stock buybacks or dividends, according to new nonpartisan research. Two thirds of the companies surveyed will use at least 75 percent of their savings to boost stock buybacks and dividends. In total, the research shows that companies plan to use 58 percent of their tax savings on these stock boosting moves, compared with 6 percent being passed to workers in the form of higher wages, one-time bonuses, higher benefits, or worker training.
