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Joint Economic Committee
JOINT ECONOMIC COMMITTEE DEMOCRATS Vice Chair - Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY)

Vice Chair Maloney’s Statement on June Jobs Report

Jul 05 2019

WASHINGTON—Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-12), Vice Chair of the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee, issued the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported nonfarm payroll employment grew by 224,000 in June and the unemployment rate ticked up to 3.7 percent. Average hourly earnings increased 3.1 percent from the prior year.

“I am happy to see that American businesses continue to generate jobs at a solid rate a decade after the Great Recession ended. The economy has proven resilient to self-inflicted wounds imposed by the Trump administration including erratic trade policies that punish American consumers and some of our closest allies.”

“Despite these gains, a closer look at today’s jobs report reveals persistent inequalities that prevent too many people from achieving the American Dream. Black and Hispanic unemployment rates are still higher than those for whites and Asians, while 4.3 million people who wanted full-time work had to work only part-time last month. The share of women working or seeking work hasn’t fully recovered from the last recession, as day care costs and insufficient paid family leave policies make it hard for mothers to keep their jobs.”

“That is why I have been pushing so hard for Congress to pass a law that would allow federal workers to care for a child or sick family member without facing financial hardship. The U.S. government should be a model employer and pave the way for workers throughout the country to win the right to paid family leave. I also urge Congress to approve legislation that would require the Bureau of Economic Analysis to report economic growth by income decile and the top 1 percent. This would help us measure inequality and implement programs and policies to ensure all Americans benefit from our nation’s economic progress.”

Congresswoman Maloney, author of the Federal Employee Paid Leave Act (H.R. 1534), introduced the bill as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in June along with Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) and House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith (D-WA). The legislation would provide 12 weeks of paid leave to federal employees to care for themselves and family members. Congresswoman Maloney also introduced the Measuring Real Income Growth Act (H.R. 707) this Congress and in the 115th Congress. The legislation would require the Bureau of Economic Analysis to publish distributional analyses of gross domestic product.

Press contact: Randy Woods; Randy_Woods@jec.senate.gov; (202) 224-2599

Vice Chair Maloney Applauds Omission of Citizenship Question From Census

Jul 02 2019

WASHINGTON— Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-12), Vice Chair of the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee, issued the following statement after the Justice Department confirmed the government would print the 2020 census forms without a citizenship question.

“Moving forward on the 2020 census without the citizenship question is a major win for democracy. It brings us closer to getting a full and accurate count of the population.”

“It's also good news for U.S. businesses that rely on information provided by the decennial census to plan investments, determine where to locate or expand operations and where to open new stores and distribution centers. Businesses depend on reliable, accurate federal data.”

“Census data are an essential building block or benchmark for most nationally representative surveys—public and private, helping us to understand the economy, our workforce and opportunities for growth. Today we all should feel more confident about the data we can expect to get from the 2020 census.”

Congresswoman Maloney is co-chair of the House Census Caucus and introduced the Census IDEA Act in this Congress, which mandates at least a three-year review process for each question proposed to the decennial census. Earlier on July 2, the Congresswoman sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross urging him to print the census forms without the citizenship question.

Vice Chair Maloney Statement on SCOTUS Census Decision

Jun 27 2019

WASHINGTON— Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-12), Vice Chair of the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee, issued the following statement after the Supreme Court ruled on Department of Commerce v. New York.

“I am extremely happy that the Supreme Court has prevented the Trump administration from introducing the citizenship question in the 2020 Census. The ruling confirms Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross was completely dishonest when he claimed the administration needed a citizenship question to better enforce the Voting Rights Act.”

“But the administration still has time to present new reasoning and to get the question approved by the lower courts. That would be a big mistake and harmful to our economy, and I will keep fighting to preserve the integrity of the 2020 Census.”

“Studies show the citizenship question would result in an undercount of millions of people because immigrants, newly naturalized Americans and their families would be hesitant to take part in a survey they believe could be used against them. That could deprive those communities of congressional representation and billions in federal funding for infrastructure and essential services.”

“An undercount of that magnitude would make the 2020 Census less accurate, which would hurt our economy. Economists rely on information provided by the decennial census to help calculate everything from GDP to unemployment, while businesses draw on census-based data to plan investments. Without an accurate count, companies and policymakers would be forced to make major decisions without accurate data for a decade to come.”

“In fact, more than a dozen companies made that point to the Supreme Court in amicus briefs. Companies from Lyft to Levi Strauss said they rely on census data to determine where to build new locations and how to market products. Market research firm Nielsen said the citizenship question would have ‘a lasting and negative impact’ on some of America’s largest consumer product manufacturers, retailers and media companies. I am pleased the justices made a decision that will stop the administration from undermining data that are essential to our economic vitality, and I will keep working to keep the question off the census.”

Congresswoman Maloney is co-chair of the House Census Caucus and introduced the Census IDEA Act in this Congress, which mandates at least a three-year review process for each question proposed to the decennial census.

Press contact: Randy Woods; Randy_Woods@jec.senate.gov; (202) 224-2599

Vice Chair Maloney’s Statement on Fed’s FOMC Meeting

Jun 19 2019

WASHINGTON—Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-12), Vice Chair of the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee, issued the following statement after the Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) completed its June meetings and reported that its median growth projection is 2.1 percent for 2019 and 2 percent for 2020.

“The FOMC’s median forecast of an economic deceleration this year and next is roughly in line with projections made by the Congressional Budget Office, the International Monetary Fund and many independent economists in the private sector. This is further evidence that the Republican tax law created only a short-term pickup in the economy and will not provide the sustained growth needed to pay for itself that was promised by the president and congressional Republicans.”

“Today’s meeting also serves as a reminder of the importance of an independent Federal Reserve, as the central bank should be left free to assess the economy and implement monetary policy in order to fulfill its congressional mandates. Unfortunately, President Trump is now trying to strong-arm the Fed into lowering interest rates by threatening to demote or even fire Chairman Jerome Powell. That is entirely inappropriate and puts at risk the Fed’s credibility, which is a pillar of America’s economic strength. I urge my Republican colleagues to join me in condemning the Trump administration’s repeated efforts to politicize the Federal Reserve.”

Press contact
Randy Woods
Randy_Woods@jec.senate.gov
(202) 224-2599

Vice Chair Maloney’s Statement on May Jobs Report

Jun 07 2019

WASHINGTON—Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-12), Vice Chair of the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee, issued the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported nonfarm payroll employment grew by 75,000 in May and the unemployment rate remained at 3.6 percent. Average hourly earnings increased 3.1 percent from the prior year.

“Today’s payroll growth is very disappointing and far lower than economists had forecast, as factories and builders hired at a much slower pace. Wage growth has also decelerated and missed expectations in May. While it is too soon to know whether this all is a result of the president’s trade wars, today’s data should give everyone pause and reason to question his reckless and haphazard tariff policies.”

“I am also concerned about the persistent inequalities that prevent too many Americans from enjoying the benefits of a growing economy. Black and Hispanic unemployment remain well above the rates among whites and Asians. The share of women working or seeking work remains below pre-recession levels, as high day care costs and inadequate paid family leave policies make it hard for young mothers to stay in the job market.”

“That’s why it’s so important for Congress to pass a law that would allow workers to care for a child or sick family member without facing financial hardship. I also urge Congress to approve legislation that would require the Bureau of Economic Analysis to report economic growth by income decile and the top 1 percent. That would help us measure inequality and develop policies to ensure all Americans benefit from our nation’s economic progress.”

Congresswoman Maloney in March introduced the Federal Employee Paid Leave Act (H.R. 1534) that would provide 12 weeks of paid family leave for federal workers. H.R. 1534 would guarantee paid leave for all instances covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act, which currently guarantees only unpaid leave. She also introduced the Measuring Real Income Growth Act (H.R. 707) this Congress and in the 115th Congress. The legislation would require BEA to publish distributional analyses of gross domestic product.

Press Contact:
Randy Woods
Randy_Woods@jec.senate.gov
(202) 224-2599

Joint Economic Committee Hearing Focused on Business Uses of 2020 Census

May 22 2019

Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney, Vice Chair of the Joint Economic Committee, presided over a hearing today on the economic impacts of the 2020 census and business uses of federal data. The hearing focused on the importance of next year’s count, which will be used to produce economic data that businesses rely on to make decisions ranging from marketing strategies to long-term investments.

Here are key excerpts from the hearing:

“Businesses use census data to make economic and strategic decisions that determine the flow of almost $4 trillion in annual private investment,” Congresswoman Maloney said in her opening statement. “When businesses plot their strategies, they look at census data to understand the skills of the workforce and the characteristics of potential customers.”

“Getting the count wrong would be costly with far-reaching effects on nearly every segment of the population and on nearly every industry in our economy,” she added later in her statement. “We would be misallocating resources through misguided business investments and poorly targeted government expenditures. We would be using flawed data as the basis for making and evaluating decisions. And we would be doing this for a decade.”

“The vitality of the nation’s economy and the 6 million businesses inside that economy are greatly affected by decisions made using census-derived data—by businesses themselves, of course, and as well as by the federal government, state and local governments, workers, and students,” Dr. Andrew Reamer, research professor at the George Washington Institute of Public Policy, said in his prepared remarks.

“Because accurate census data is considered the gold standard of publicly available data, it creates a competitive advantage for our country,” Mr. Howard Fienberg, Vice President of Advocacy at the Insights Association and Co-director of The Census Project, said in prepared remarks. “One of the greatest barriers to international expansion is the lack of good, transparent data, but census data gives the private sector the confidence to get their capital off the sidelines and put it to productive use here in the U.S.”

Congresswoman Maloney is co-chair of the House Census Caucus and introduced the Census IDEA Act in this Congress, which mandates a three-year review process for each question proposed to the decennial census. A video of the full hearing is available here, and the Congresswoman’s opening statement is here.

Press Contact (Democrats):

Randy Woods
Randy_Woods@jec.senate.gov
202-503-5943 

Hearing to Focus on Economic Impacts of the 2020 Census

May 20 2019

A hearing before the Joint Economic Committee, “The Economic Impacts of the 2020 Census and Business Uses of Federal Data,” will take place Wednesday, May 22, 2019, at 2:00 p.m., in 210 of the Cannon House Office Building. A live stream of the hearing will be available on the Committee website: https://www.jec.senate.gov/public/.

Witnesses:

Dr. Andrew Reamer, Research Professor
George Washington Institute of Public Policy
George Washington University
Washington, DC

Mr. Howard Fienberg, Vice President, Advocacy
Insights Association
Washington, DC

Ms. Mallory Bateman, Coordinator, State Data Center
Senior Research Analyst, The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute
The University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

Dr. Nicholas Eberstadt, Henry Wendt Chair in Political Economy
American Enterprise Institute
Washington, DC

Vice Chair Carolyn B. Maloney will preside

Background:

The hearing will focus on the importance of conducting a thorough and accurate decennial census. Census data provide a benchmark for nearly all federal statistics, which are critical to understanding the economy and for businesses as they plan everything from marketing strategies to long-term investments. The discussion occurs amid increased politicization of the 2020 census, with the potential citizenship question threatening to reduce the rate of response in some communities.

Press Contact (Democrats):
Randy Woods
Randy_Woods@jec.senate.gov
202-503-5943

Vice Chair Maloney’s Statement on April Jobs Report

May 03 2019

WASHINGTON—Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-12), Vice Chair of the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee, issued the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported nonfarm payroll employment grew by 263,000 in April and the unemployment rate fell by 0.2 percentage point to 3.6 percent. Average hourly earnings grew 3.2 percent from the prior year.

“I’m pleased that our economy continues to create jobs and opportunities for Americans almost a decade after the Great Recession ended. That progress is resulting in lower unemployment and wage gains as more Americans enter the labor market or find better paying jobs.”

“But much more needs to be done to reduce the inequality that holds back too many people and limits our country’s economic potential. The black unemployment rate is more than double the rate among whites, and there are still 1.2 million people who have been unemployed for 27 weeks or longer. The share of women working or seeking work remains below pre-recession levels and falls short of countries like Canada and Great Britain, where governments have paid family-leave policies.”

“That’s why it’s so important for us to pass a law that would allow workers to take paid leave after the birth or adoption of a child or to care for a sick family member. I also urge Congress to approve legislation that would require the Bureau of Economic Analysis to report economic growth by income decile and the top 1 percent. That would allow us to track changes in inequality to ensure all Americans benefit from our country’s economic growth.”

Congresswoman Maloney in March introduced the Federal Employee Paid Leave Act (H.R. 1534) that would provide 12 weeks of paid family leave for federal workers. FEPLA would guarantee paid leave for all instances covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act, which currently guarantees only unpaid leave. She also introduced the Measuring Real Income Growth Act (H.R. 707) this Congress and in the 115th Congress. The legislation would require BEA to publish distributional analyses of gross domestic product.

Press contact
Randy Woods
Randy_Woods@jec.senate.gov
(202) 224-2599