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Joint Economic Committee Democrats Chairman - Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM)

Publications

Mar 22 2024

Preserving the Affordable Connectivity Program is Crucial for Continued American Success

In 2021, the Biden Administration and Congress passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that appropriated $14.2 billion to establish the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which has now helped over 23 million households sign up for discounted broadband internet. Internet connectivity leads to better economic outcomes, and the ACP was especially important in bringing affordable internet to residents of rural and tribal areas, people of color, low-income communities, and seniors who otherwise have a hard time affording high-speed internet.

Mar 22 2024

State by State Data: February 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. The below map and chart created by the Joint Economic Committee highlight key trends in the most recent monthly data for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The most recent state-level data, which cover the month of February 2024, were released on March 22nd, 2024. The latest national data were released on March 8th, 2024.

Mar 18 2024

Los Demócratas Se Enfrentan Con La Avaricia Corporativa y Luchan Por Las Familias Estadounidenses

Los datos indican que, durante el reciente periodo de inflación, las grandes empresas se beneficiaron de manera anormal al aumentar los precios. Normalmente, las ganancias de las empresas solo representan el 13% de los aumentos de precios. Sin embargo, entre abril de 2020 y diciembre de 2021, las ganancias de las empresas representaron el 54% del aumento de precios, y se mantuvieron por encima de niveles normales durante 2022. El aumento de las ganancias fue especialmente marcado en las empresas más grandes, cuyos márgenes se dispararon y mantuvieron altos después de abril de 2020.

Mar 15 2024

Modernizing Benefit Systems Can Improve Lives While Also Saving Time and Money

Americans deserve local, state, and federal governments that efficiently and reliably respond to the needs of their communities. This includes providing the safety net programs that are vital for many Americans, helping families make ends meet and delivering long-term positive impacts on their health and economic well-being. Unfortunately, many Americans do not receive some or all of the benefits they qualify for, and an estimated $140 billion in federal benefits goes unclaimed each year. Policy innovations and investments in technology are helping state and federal policymakers create a more accessible and efficient social safety net. These innovations save both families and the government time and money, while making sure that people get the benefits they qualify for.

Mar 13 2024

Transmission upgrades and efficient energy demand management are essential for the clean energy transition

The United States requires a consistent supply of energy to both improve Americans’ quality of life and grow the economy. Currently, the United States is shifting to clean electricity and moving away from fossil fuels to mitigate climate change and reduce the impacts of price volatility. To achieve these goals, the United States will have to create more electricity than it currently produces. Renewable energy generation is projected to increase from 21% of electricity generation in 2021 to 44% in 2050. This will help meet the demand for increased electricity, but more will need to be done. Other opportunities include expanding existing transmission abilities and streamlining the construction, deployment, and connection of new clean energy investments to the broader power grid.

Mar 11 2024

Raising Revenue to Address the U.S. Debt Trajectory

The United States does not have a spending problem; it has a revenue problem. Republican tax cuts for the wealthy have reduced revenues and driven up the national debt. Despite this reality, Republicans want to further cut important social programs, harming millions of Americans while doing little to correct the country’s fiscal balance.

The United States should reduce the deficit, but not on the backs of working people. The deficit can and should be reduced by closing tax loopholes for the wealthiest of the wealthy and going after tax cheats among the wealthiest of individuals and big corporations—a move that requires maintaining funding for the Internal Revenue Service. Next year, there is also a crucial opportunity for Congress to put the country’s fiscal path back on track by letting key provisions of the 2017 Republican tax package expire.

Mar 11 2024

State by State Data: January 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. The below map and chart created by the Joint Economic Committee highlight key trends in the most recent monthly data for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The most recent state-level data, which cover the month of January 2024, were released on March 11th, 2024. The latest national data were released on February 2nd, 2024 and revised March 8th, 2024.