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Joint Economic Committee Democrats

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May 17 2017

Bloomberg - Trump’s $1 Trillion Plan Helps Wall Street More Than Rural America, Democrats Warn

Now, a group of congressional Democrats say they have a better solution for what ails the vast stretches of the country outside the cities and suburbs. Among other things, they oppose President Trump's plan to use public-private partnerships to carry out $1 trillion in infrastructure investment over a decade. "Wall Street investors and private equity firms are going to put money, time and resources where they can make a big profit," and that's not the countryside, Senator Martin Heinrich, the top Democrat on Congress's Joint Economic Committee, wrote in remarks prepared for the release of a report called Understanding Economic Challenges in Rural America.

May 17 2017

Heinrich Statement on Republican Hearing Witness

I am deeply disappointed that my Republican colleagues chose to invite a witness to testify who has questioned the intelligence of minorities and women. This is beyond offensive and out of touch. While the topic of social capital is important, giving someone like Mr. Murray a platform is irresponsible. We should instead have a productive discussion focused on making sure that all Americans have a fair shot at getting ahead.

May 16 2017

JEC Democrats Release Report on Understanding Economic Challenges in Rural America

Joint Economic Committee Democrats released a new report today on the economic challenges in rural America. In recent years, rural and urban communities experienced developments in the U.S. economy in vastly different ways. Congress’s work on economic development, infrastructure, and education must tailor approaches to meet the unique challenges facing rural communities.

May 12 2017

Vocativ - Report: Trump’s Child Care Plan Is Pretty Useless

The typical American family spends 15 percent of its income on child care — and President Donald Trump will do little to change this “affordability crisis,” according to a new report by the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee. “Unfortunately, too many families currently cannot afford high-quality child care, and the Trump administration’s policies will not help these families,” the authors write.

May 11 2017

KUSA (Colorado) - Coloradans pay a lot for child care, says Congress committee

If you’ve long felt that you’re paying a lot for child care in Colorado, congrats! The U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee has validated that feeling with a new report. Colorado is third among the top 10 states with the highest average annual costs of infant care at an average of $14,950, topped only by the District of Columbia at $22,658 and Massachusetts at $17,082.

May 11 2017

Glamour - Working Families Spend at Least 15 Percent of Their Income on Child Care—Trump's Tax Plan Does Little to Help Them

Yet the effects of high-quality, affordable child care are vastly beneficial, and a report released exclusively to Glamour on Thursday by the Democratic staff of the Congress Joint Economic Committee (JEC), titled "The State of Child Care in America," proves it. Aside from increasing both employment and education opportunities for mothers, access to top-caliber child care correlates with an increase in earnings for a woman throughout her career. This is particularly true for low-income mothers who stand to earn an additional $90,000 over the course of their careers if they have access to child care.

May 11 2017

Romper - Working Mothers Spend 25 Percent Of Their Income Or More On Childcare & Trump's Plan Likely Won't Help

A report from the Democratic staff of the Congress Joint Economic Committee that was released solely to Glamour on Thursday, entitled "The State of Child Care in America," proves that much to be true. The report showed that, as mentioned, single working mothers spend upwards of 25 percent of their income on child care, with costs sometimes totaling 50 percent of a woman's entire paycheck. And while the White House likes to claim that Trump's tax plan will provide some much-needed relief for families, in the form of a child care tax credit, it simply isn't enough.

May 11 2017

JEC Democrats Issue New Report on Child Care Ahead of Mother’s Day

As a parent of two children, I know firsthand that families in New Mexico and across the U.S. need access to affordable, high-quality child care. Child care is critically important to millions of families, regardless of income level, and they deserve to know their children are in a safe environment while they go to work or earn a degree.