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

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Feb 28 2007

Schumer Urges New Policies to Give Middle Class Families a Cushion in the Roller Coaster Economy

 SCHUMER URGES NEW POLICIES TO GIVE MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES A CUSHION IN THE ROLLER COASTER ECONOMY
 
Recent Downturns in Manufacturing, Stock Market, and Greenspan Recession Prediction Highlight Need for Policies to Address Family Income Volatility, as JEC Hearing Testimony Illuminates
 
Schumer, McDermott to Offer Wage Insurance Bill to Give Working Families Additional Stability in Light of Technological and Trade Hurdles Their Jobs Face
 
Washington, D.C.: U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, Chairman of the Joint Economic Committee, held a hearing on wage and income instability today with experts testifying that many middle class families are experiencing ups and downs in their yearto-year earnings and income, and their economic instability may be greater than in the past due to the consequences of globalization and technology. The hearing examined new policies like wage insurance and income averaging to empower workers to manage both temporary earnings losses and more permanent declines.
 
Sen. Schumer is working with Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA), Chairman of the Ways and Means Income Security and Family Support Subcommittee, on a wage insurance proposal to be introduced next month.
 
Below is Sen. Schumer opening statement as prepared for delivery:
Good morning. I would like to thank our witnesses and guests for attending today, and I want to welcome the new Vice Chair, my colleague from New York, Mrs. Maloney. I look forward to working closely with her to use this Committee as an engine for generating economic policies that will work to deliver the benefits of economic growth to all Americans.
Today, we are at a critical juncture in U.S. economic policy. We know that the upheavals caused by technological change and international competition most acutely affect those who are gaining the least economically—the middle-class and those who aspire to get there. Yet in order for us to expand trade and make significant technological investments to help grow the economy, the middle-class must feel that they will benefit. Right now, too many of them don’t.
 
Working at a large corporation for thirty or forty years that takes care of you and your family for a lifetime is becoming a thing of the past. Employers are now shifting the high costs of health care and the burden of saving for retirement onto families. And increasingly, jobs are being automated away by technological advancements or moved overseas -- leaving many displaced workers and their families behind.
 
Meanwhile, official numbers on the economy have been positive – at least until very recently. But we must face the reality lurking behind the official numbers in order to address anxiety on Main Street.
 
Not only have wages significantly lagged behind productivity over the past two decades, but they are increasingly more volatile as workers bounce in and out of jobs. Between 2003 and 2005, nearly 4 million workers were laid off from jobs they held for more than 3 years. About half of these workers and their families took a pay cut, and nearly one-third lost 20 percent or more of their prior earnings. And if the recession in the manufacturing sector that hit our radar screens this week spreads through our economy-- the economic rollercoaster for families will only get worse.
 
Income volatility can cause major upheavals for families, on top of the changes they are facing in the workplace — they could be forced to sell their homes, or to discontinue health care coverage. Income volatility also leaves families feeling unsettled about their family’s and their country’s economic future.
 
We need a new policy direction to meet the challenge of income instability. We must start by strengthening the safety net that helps displaced workers rebound from job losses that occur through no fault of their own.
 
We have asked our witnesses on the second panel to share their recommendations for doing just that. This morning, our experts will explore new policies like wage insurance and income-averaging, as well as ways to strengthen our existing unemployment insurance and Trade Adjustment Assistance programs.
 
We also need to do everything we can at the federal level to spur the development of high-quality, high-paying jobs to replace the jobs lost in declining segments of the economy or through advancements in technology. We need to make serious investments in our most promising industries for future growth, like renewable energy and life sciences.
 
And we need to help our displaced workers acquire the skills and experience they will need to succeed in the new jobs created. We will investigate opportunities for creating good jobs in more detail in a series of JEC hearings in the coming months.
 
But right now, middle-class families need help dealing with the tectonic shifts that technology is causing; they need help dealing with the forces beyond their control that are changing their lives. They don’t want handouts, but they need a hand.
 
I know we will have some disagreements over particular solutions to this problem of income instability, but I hope that we will all prioritize the need to help our families mitigate the new risks they face and achieve their aspirations. And I look forward to working closely with all of you to do just that.
 
I’ve said before that the JEC would seek insight and advice from the best and that’s what we have to offer here again today. I will now introduce today’s panelists.
 
Panelists at today’s hearing were:
 
First Panel:
Peter Orszag, Director, Congressional Budget Office
 
Second Panel:
Lael Brainard, Vice President and Director, Global Economy and Development, The Brookings Institution
Maurice Emsellem, Public Policy Director, National Employment Law Project
Lily Batchelder, Assistant Professor of Law & Public Policy, New York University School of Law
Bradley R. Schiller, Professor, School of Public Affairs, American University
 
The Joint Economic Committee, established under the Employment Act of 1946, was created by Congress to review economic conditions and to analyze the effectiveness of economic policy.
 
www.jec.senate.gov
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Feb 27 2007

Joint Economic Committee Announces First Major Hearing on Wage Insurance

JOINT ECONOMIC COMMITTEE ANNOUNCES FIRST MAJOR HEARING ON WAGE INSURANCE
 
JEC Chairman to Spotlight Policies to Address Income Shocks for Middle-Class Families
 
Schumer: “We have to make sure that job disruptions caused by globalization become manageable transitions for families rather than the economic crises they too often are today.”
 
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, Chairman of the Joint Economic Committee, will hold a hearing on wage and income instability TOMORROW, February 28th at 9:30 am in 562 Dirksen Senate Office Building.
 
Many American families experience substantial variability in their year-to-year earnings and income, and their economic instability may be greater than in the past due to the consequences of globalization and technology. This hearing will explore the extent of earnings and income instability faced by middle-class families in our dynamic economy and examine policies like wage insurance and income averaging to empower workers to manage both temporary earnings losses and more permanent declines. Senator Schumer is working with Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA), Chairman of the Ways and Means Income Security and Family Support Subcommittee, on a wage insurance proposal to be introduced next month.
 
WHO: Peter Orszag, Director, Congressional Budget Office
Second Panel:
Lael Brainard, Vice President and Director, Global Economy and Development,The Brookings Institution
Maurice Emsellem, Public Policy Director, National Employment Law Project
Lily Batchelder, Assistant Professor of Law & Public Policy, New York University School of Law
Bradley R. Schiller, Professor, School of Public Affairs, American University
 
WHAT: Joint Economic Committee Hearing on “Meeting the Challenge of Income Instability”
 
WHEN: TOMORROW, February 28, 2007, at 9:30 AM
 
WHERE: 562 Dirksen Senate Office Building
 
The Joint Economic Committee, established under the Employment Act of 1946, was created by Congress to review economic conditions and to analyze the effectiveness of economic policy.
 
www.jec.senate.gov

Feb 13 2007

Schumer Reacts to Record Trade Deficit

SCHUMER: THESE ARE THE RECORDS WE DON’T WANT TO BE SETTING – 2006 MARKS HIGHEST OVERALL TRADE DEFICIT IN HISTORY

Deficit With China Increased 15 Percent Over 2006 And Sets New Record

JEC Chairman: “The Administration Needs To Take Action To Close Our Growing Trade Gap With China Before the Bill Comes Due”

Washington, D.C. – Both the overall trade deficit and the deficit with China broke record highs, according to a Joint Economic Committee analysis of Commerce Department data. The U.S. trade deficit widened unexpectedly to $61.2 billion in December, with $19.0 billion of that gap stemming from the deficit with China.

“These are the kinds of records the American people don’t want us to be breaking,” said Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Chairman of the Joint Economic Committee. “The administration needs to move beyond words and take action now to reverse a trend that threatens our prospects for future economic growth. Someday the bill is going to come due, whether this administration admits it or not.”

The U.S. trade deficit set a record level for the fifth year in a row. For all of 2006 the deficit was $764 billion, which surpasses the record deficit of $717 billion set for all of 2005.

The largest single contributor to the 2006 trade deficit was the $233 billion goods deficit with China (See chart). For all of 2005, the goods deficit with China was $202 billion. The U.S. trade deficit with China in the past two years was larger than the total U.S. trade gap as recently as 1998.

The Economic Report of the President released yesterday did not address the growing trade deficit. Rather, the President’s advisors included a chapter on “International Trade and Investment” emphasizing the advantages of open trade and investment and merely glossing over the anxiety and sense of insecurity that many Americans feel in the face of growing international competition. This month, Senator Schumer will hold a Joint Economic Committee hearing to examine policies that will be necessary to reassure the average American family that it can expect to share in the benefits of more open international markets.

The Joint Economic Committee, established under the Employment Act of 1946, was created by Congress to review economic conditions and to analyze the effectiveness of economic policy.

www.jec.senate.gov

 

 

Feb 12 2007

Schumer: Bush Economic Report Paints Rosy Picture; Ignores Impact of Trade Deficit, Low Saving Rate and High Health Care Costs

 SCHUMER: BUSH ECONOMIC REPORT PAINTS ROSY PICTURE; IGNORES IMPACT OF TRADE DEFICIT, LOW SAVING RATE AND HIGH HEALTH CARE COSTS
 
JEC Chairman: “We Need to Shift Focus So That Working Americans Start To Feel As Good About Our Changing Economy As Those at the Very Top Do”
 
Washington, D.C. – Sen. Charles E. Schumer, Chairman of the Joint Economic Committee, today released the following statement about the 2007 Economic Report of the President:
 
“We can’t just put on a happy face and cross our fingers that wages will grow, trade deficits will shrink, savings rates will rise, and health care costs will slow as this administration is doing. We need to shift focus so that working Americans start to feel as good about our changing economy as those at the very top do. Only then will we have the economy we need to help us maintain our global leadership.”
 
A preliminary Joint Economic Committee analysis of the key chapters of the Economic Report of the President report follows:
 
Bush Administration to American Workers: “Don’t Worry, Your Pay Will Catch Up to Your Productivity”
 
The Economic Report of the President presents an upbeat picture of our recent economic performance, implying that the problems which produced the most protracted jobs slump since the 1930s, sluggish real wage growth, and widening inequality are now behind us. Buried in the Report, however, is an acknowledgement that negative personal saving and government budget deficits have produced a very low net national saving rate and that the share of employee compensation (wages and benefits) in national income has fallen while the share of profits is at an all-time high. The Report argues that these problems will right themselves, but the President’s policies do nothing to encourage more national saving or to see that the benefits of economic growth are spread more widely.
 
Bush Administration Continues to Ignore Record Trade Deficits, Disruptions Faced by American Workers
 
The Economic Report of the President does not address the trade deficit, which is expected to surpass 2005’s record $717 billion for 2006. Rather, there is a chapter on “International Trade and Investment” emphasizing the advantages of open trade and investment. The chapter merely pays lip service to the disruptions and dislocations that can take place in the short run and the anxiety and sense of insecurity that many Americans feel in the face of growing international competition.
 
The Report argues for the importance of renewing Trade Promotion Authority and successfully completing the current round of trade talks. It does not talk about the kinds of policies that will be necessary to reassure the average American family that it can expect to share in the benefits of more open international markets.
 
Bush Administration Wants Individuals, States and Health Care Providers to Cover the Tab for Rising Health Care Costs
 
In the report, the President’s advisors justify the health care proposals he unveiled in the State of the Union Address and the budget—a health insurance deduction that replaces the traditional employer-sponsored insurance deduction, and $101.5 billion in reduced spending on Medicare and Medicaid (over five years). Neither policy initiative gets at the root of today’s health care crisis – rapidly escalating costs. Since 2000, health care premiums have risen 87 percent, five times the rate of inflation. Instead, the administration’s reforms would pass the tab of rising costs on to individuals, states, and health care providers:
 
• The proposed health insurance deduction would weaken traditional employer sponsored health insurance, which benefits 175 million Americans, by extending the current tax incentive for such group coverage to coverage in the more costly (and risky) individual market. The plan would likely encourage more employers to drop coverage, throwing more people into the individual market before necessary reforms of that market are in place.
 
• Instead of reducing over-payments to private managed care plans that enroll Medicare beneficiaries in order to curb costs, the administration has budgeted $75 billion in reduced payments to Medicare, largely achieved by cutting reimbursements to health care providers like hospitals and nursing homes which are already running at low operating margins. The administration also plans to cut $26 billion from Medicaid largely by lowering federal matching funds, which will force states to absorb the cost burden.
 
The Joint Economic Committee, established under the Employment Act of 1946, was created by Congress to review economic conditions and to analyze the effectiveness of economic policy.
 

Feb 02 2007

Schumer Responds to Jobs Numbers

SCHUMER, NEW JOINT ECONOMIC COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN, RESPONDS TO WEAKER THAN EXPECTED JOB GROWTH AND HIGHER UNEMPLOYMENT

JEC Chairman: Today’s Job Numbers Tell Us That We Have a Long Way to Go Before American Families Can Make Up for Lost Ground
 
Bush Is Tied With His Father for Worst Job Creation Record of Any President since Hoover
 
Schumer: “Economy is Creating Jobs, but Certainly Not Enough to Reduce Middle-Class Anxiety”

Washington, D.C. – According to today’s Bureau of Labor Statistics report on the January Employment Situation, job growth slowed as employers added only 111,000 jobs in January while unemployment edged up to 4.6 percent, a sign that the labor market may be cooling.
 
Sen. Charles E. Schumer, Chairman of the Joint Economic Committee, today released the following statement about the January employment numbers:
 
"The American economy is creating jobs, but certainly not enough to reduce middle-class anxiety. We still have a long way to go before American families make up the economic ground they've lost over the last six years. We need to refocus our policies to create more and better jobs with better pay to help middle-class Americans in this uncertain economic environment."
– Sen. Charles E. Schumer, Chairman of the Joint Economic Committee
 
January’s Report in Perspective
 
• With technical data revisions and the job growth in January, President Bush is now in a virtual tie with his father for the dubious honor of having the worst job creation record of any President since Hoover.
• Growth in payroll employment has been modest by the standards of past economic recoveries and has averaged just 66,000 jobs per month over the Bush Presidency. Job creation under President Clinton averaged 237,000 jobs per month.
• January’s 4.6 percent unemployment rate remains higher than the 4 percent rate achieved in the expansion of the 1990s.
• Under President Bush, 3 million manufacturing jobs have been lost.
• Workers’ productivity (output per hour) has increased 18 percent since the beginning of 2001 while workers’ real (inflation-adjusted) average hourly compensation (wages plus benefits) has increased just a little over 7 percent.
• Increases in health care premiums have increased benefit costs resulting in even slower growth in real wages.


The Joint Economic Committee, established under the Employment Act of 1946, was created by Congress to review economic conditions and to analyze the effectiveness of economic policy.
 www.jec.senate.gov

Jan 25 2007

New Joint Economic Committee Report Highlights Critical Flaws of Bush Health Care Proposal

NEW JOINT ECONOMIC COMMITTEE REPORT HIGHLIGHTS CRITICAL FLAWS OF BUSH HEALTH CARE PROPOSAL
 
Report Concludes President’s New Health Insurance Proposal Would Impose New Tax On Many Middle Class Families – Especially High-Cost Insurance Markets Like New York
 
Plus, President Calling For Elimination Of Billions Of Federal Dollars For Public Hospitals Without Any Guarantee That Insurance Companies Will Fill In The Gap
 
Schumer: “The President’s Proposal Is All Risk And No Reward – This Is Bad Policy For The Middle Class, Budget-Strapped States And The 47 Million Uninsured Americans”

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) today released a new Joint Economic Committee report showing that the new health care proposal from the Bush Administration, which claims to help more Americans afford their own insurance, is instead more likely to weaken the nation’s health care system.  The Joint Economic Committee report concludes the President’s health insurance policy would not help the vast majority of the 47 million uninsured Americans, would not address skyrocketing healthcare costs, would impose a new health tax on middle class families and would add to the budget deficit.

“The President’s healthcare proposal is all risk and no reward – this is bad policy for the middle class, budget-strapped states and the 47 million uninsured Americans,” said Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Chairman of the Joint Economic Committee.  “It’s hard enough to obtain good health care coverage in this country without penalizing those who have it, but that is exactly what this plan does. The President should work with Congress to craft health care policies that will reduce the number of uninsured and cut health care costs, without asking middle class families to pay more than they already do.”
 
Today’s report shows that the Bush health care proposal would fail to meaningfully reduce the number of uninsured Americans while increasing costs for many middle class families.  Furthermore, the Administration’s policy would undermine the country’s most reliable source of health care coverage—the employer-sponsored system—and put more and more people into the individual market where the risks are much greater. Rather than promoting growth of the individual insurance market at the expense of employer-sponsored plans, the administration’s first priorities should be structuring reform efforts to help the uninsured acquire health care and reducing overall health care spending.  Until we have workable policy solutions that will accomplish these goals, the administration should refrain from introducing more risk into an already too risky system.

In another piece of his new health care proposal, the President is calling for the elimination of billions of federal dollars to hospitals that care for a high percentage of uninsured patients, without guaranteeing that insurance companies will fill the gap.   The President's proposal aims to shift federal dollars from hospitals that are currently caring for the uninsured to states that want to find new ways to decrease the number of uninsured. While not all states may choose to participate, or be successful, in experiments to reduce the uninsured, all hospitals would be subject to the funding cuts.
 
Link to JEC report: https://www.jec.senate.gov/Documents/Reports/bushhealthcareproposal.pdf

The Joint Economic Committee, established under the Employment Act of 1946, was created by Congress to review economic conditions and to analyze the effectiveness of economic policy.

www.jec.senate.gov

Jan 17 2007

New Joint Economic Committee Report Reveals: Oil and Gas Royalty Relief Yields No Economic Benefit

NEW JOINT ECONOMIC COMMITTEE REPORT
REVEALS: OIL AND GAS ROYALTY RELIEF
YIELDS NO ECONOMIC BENEFIT
 
Report’s Startling Conclusion – Billions Of Taxpayer Giveaways
Produce Virtually No Oil
 
JEC Chairman Announces New Push To Eliminate All Royalty Relief For Oil And Gas Companies
 
Schumer: “Taxpayers Get No Bang For Their Billions Of Giveaways To Big Oil”
 
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today released a new Joint Economic Committee report showing that, despite costing taxpayers tens of billions of dollars, oil and gas royalty relief does not reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil, create net new jobs, or lower energy prices for consumers.
On the eve of a Senate Energy Committee hearing on oil and gas royalty collection and enforcement, Senator Schumer announced plans to push for the elimination of royalty relief for oil and gas companies.
 
“American taxpayers get no bang for their billions of giveaways to wealthy oil companies,” said Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Chairman of the Joint Economic Committee. “This report proves what we've suspected for so long, that oil company giveaways do little to reduce energy prices for consumers. Instead of supporting royalty relief that is only effective in boosting oil company’s record profits, the Bush administration should focus on policies that will directly reduce our
dependence on foreign oil sources, like energy efficiency and alternative fuels.”

The justification for royalty relief and other special subsidies for oil and gas companies rests on the arguments that they will increase domestic oil and gas production and lessen our dependence on foreign oil, promote employment and economic growth, and hold down energy prices for consumers. The JEC report finds no solid evidence to support any of these arguments.
 
Highlights from the report include the following:
 
• Royalty relief for oil and gas companies could cost taxpayers up to $80 billion
without increasing our domestic supply of energy.
• Shifting the tens of billions of taxpayer dollars lost on royalty relief and other tax
incentives for oil and gas production to demand-side policies like conservation or
renewable energy would give taxpayers more “bang for their buck” in terms of
energy security.
• Royalty relief has not led to the creation of net new jobs or the lowering of
consumers’ energy prices.
 
 “It’s important to expose the mismanagement and faulty implementation of this program, but the logical conclusion from this report is that we need to get rid of the royalty relief itself,” said Senator Schumer. “It’s time to stop helping oil companies and start achieving energy independence.”
 
Link to JEC report: https://www.jec.senate.gov/democrats/Documents/Reports/royaltyrelief.pdf
 
The Joint Economic Committee, established under the Employment Act of 1946, was created by Congress to review economic conditions and to analyze the effectiveness of economic policy.
www.jec.senate.gov

 
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Jan 10 2007

As U.S. Heads Toward 5th Record Trade Deficit, Chair of Joint Economic Committee Calls on Administration to Put New Pressures on China

AS U.S. HEADS TOWARD 5th RECORD TRADE DEFICIT, CHAIR OF JOINT ECONOMIC COMMITTEE CALLS ON ADMINISTRATION TO PUT NEW PRESSURES ON CHINA

Administration’s Delegation Returned from China in December Without Much In Hand

JEC Plans Hearings on China Currency Manipulation, U.S. China Trade Policy –Will Bring Treasury Officials Before Committee

Schumer: 30 Percent of 2006 Trade Gap Stems from Deficit with China

Washington, D.C. – Although the U.S. trade deficit narrowed slightly to $58.2 billion in November, $22.9 billion of that gap stemmed from the deficit with China, according to a Joint Economic Committee analysis of Commerce Department data. Despite the narrowing, both the overall deficit and the deficit with China remain at historically high levels.

“Our trade deficit is still out of control,” said Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), incoming Chairman of the Joint Economic Committee. “Unless the administration takes action to end China’s unfair currency manipulation, we will continue to see the problem get worse. It is time to take a hard line with Beijing on its undervalued currency, so that American producers can compete with Chinese producers on a level playing field.”

Schumer plans to hold hearings to investigate policy responses to the growing trade deficit with China and manipulation of the yuan. The U.S. trade deficit is on pace to set a record level for the fifth year in a row. Over the first 11 months of 2006 the deficit was $702 billion, which is on track to surpass the record deficit of $717 billion set for all of 2005. The largest single contributor to the 11-month cumulative trade deficit was the $214 billion goods deficit with China (See chart). For all of 2005, the goods deficit with China was $202 billion. The U.S. trade deficit with China in the past two years is larger than the total U.S. trade gap of just seven years ago.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson led a high-level U.S. delegation to Beijing last month for two days of talks aimed at resolving long-standing trade problems. There were no breakthroughs on the biggest issues such as complaints that China is manipulating the value of its currency to gain trade advantages. Another meeting is scheduled for May in Washington, D.C.

The Joint Economic Committee, established under the Employment Act of 1946, was created by Congress to review economic conditions and to analyze the effectiveness of economic policy.

www.jec.senate.gov