For too many families who are struggling financially, the American Dream seems out of reach. When families cannot make ends meet, children grow up without the resources they need to thrive later in life. Federal investments addressing child poverty set future generations up for success and fuel a strong, vibrant economy.

Teachers play a vital role in shaping children’s ability to succeed in the 21st century economy. But over the last few decades, teacher pay has eroded relative to comparable workers. The gap between what public school teachers earn and what similar professionals earn has grown just about every year over the last decade. In 1994, public school teachers earned just about 2 percent less than comparable workers. Today, that gap has grown to 18.7 percent. Raising teacher pay so that our nation’s teachers can earn a decent living is critical to recruiting and retaining the high-quality, effective teaching workforce American children deserve.

Over the next few months, Joint Economic Committee Democrats will highlight cutting-edge policy solutions that empower small towns and rural communities across the nation. Starting a new business is often not simple; it can involve high start-up capital costs and risk. Most entrepreneurs have limited resources and must seek capital from outside sources. Access to this start-up capital, however, is a primary obstacle to those wishing to start a business. This is all the more true in underserved and rural communities.