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Joint Economic Committee Democrats

Publications

Sep 18 2017

Universal Access to Public Pre-K Is Key

Without adequate public funding for quality early learning and care programs, costs of quality private programs remain out of reach for many working families or relegate their kids to lower quality care. JEC research shows that in families earning less than $100,000, children are 27 percent less likely to be enrolled in high-quality early learning. Universal access to public pre-K is key to meeting the needs of working families and setting all kids on the path to success.

Sep 18 2017

The American Workforce Deserves a Better Deal on Jobs

Democrats’ A Better Deal plan will open new opportunities for millions of Americans to get back into the labor force and connect with good-paying jobs. While the low headline unemployment rate in 2017 suggests that the U.S. economy is operating at full employment—the maximum rate thought not to spark inflation—a closer analysis of the labor market data reveals that millions of Americans have fallen to the wayside.

Sep 15 2017

Cassidy-Graham: Same Failed Republican Ideas

Since the U.S. Senate, the American people, and stakeholders across the health care industry rejected Republicans’ efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), bipartisan discussions are showing promise towards solutions to stabilize the health insurance marketplaces and lower health care costs for all Americans. We are now moving forward towards a compromise proposal under regular order. Yet, the Cassidy-Graham-Heller-Johnson bill undermines this bipartisan progress and threatens to send us backwards by simply repeating the failed ideas of the former TrumpCare bills.

Sep 14 2017

High-Quality Early Learning and Care Drives Lifelong Success

Ensuring that every child has the opportunity to succeed is the bedrock of the American Dream. A high-quality education that starts early and continues into adulthood enables students to develop the skills necessary to thrive in the modern economy. Unfortunately, many children today are starting off behind and entering kindergarten classrooms with little or no formal education. For these children, catching up to their peers can be a lifelong struggle.

Sep 12 2017

Rebounding Incomes and Poverty Declines Followed Historic Deterioration

Analysts left and right agree: killing Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, will cost the U.S. economy a quarter to a half trillion dollars over the next decade and stick taxpayers with a bill for creating a significant and draconian deportation force. See how DACA repeal will impact your state’s economy.

Sep 07 2017

CHIP is Critical to Families and State Budgets

As Congress heads into a busy September, it must reauthorize funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) by the end of the month. Currently, CHIP provides health care to 8.9 million children, or 12 percent of all children nationally. In particular, children in rural areas depend on public insurance: 47 percent are on Medicaid or CHIP, compared to 38 percent of children in urban areas.

Sep 06 2017

Ending DACA Means Widespread Economic Harm

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program currently allows nearly 800,000 undocumented individuals to work and live in the United States. President Trump’s decision to end the program not only flies in the face of what the United States stands for, but kicks out important contributors to the economy, undermining recent economic progress.

Sep 05 2017

Who Gets Trump Tax Cuts?

While the American people have yet to see a real tax reform proposal from the Trump administration, even after the President’s tax rally in Missouri last week, the broad principles the administration outlined earlier this year makes clear who their policy will prioritize helping: millionaires and billionaires.

Sep 01 2017

On-Call, Without Pay

On-call scheduling also makes it more difficult to plan for child care, elder care, transportation and other arrangements that would allow employees to go to work while balancing their other responsibilities. Being required to call in an hour before their shift to see if they are needed prevents workers from doing anything else with their day, including furthering their education or seeking wages elsewhere.

Sep 01 2017

August Economic Snapshot of the States

Since taking office more than seven months ago, the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans have failed to provide a credible plan to create good paying jobs and increase wages for America’s workers—it is evident in the August economic snapshot of states. The economic uncertainty created and fueled by this administration’s unprecedented dysfunction, despite controlling two branches of government, is stalling what had been resurgent wage growth that reached 3.9 percent in November 2016 for the median U.S. worker.