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Hearings

Oct 03 2008

The Employment Situation: September 2008

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer and Representative Carolyn B. Maloney, Chairman and Vice-Chair of the Joint Economic Committee (JEC) respectively, held a hearing on the newly released Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) monthly employment figures with Commissioner Keith Hall on Friday, October 3, 2008 at 9:30 am in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 106. Rep. Maloney presided over the hearing, entitled “The Employment Situation: September 2008.” In the wake of eight straight months of job losses through August, Dr. Hall assessed the recent developments in the labor market.

Sep 25 2008

Leave No Family Behind: How Can We Reduce the Rising Number of American Families Living in Poverty?

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer and Representative Carolyn B. Maloney, Chairman and Vice Chair respectively of the Joint Economic Committee (JEC), held a hearing on poverty in the United States on Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 10:00 am in Room 562 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.  The JEC hearing entitled, “Leave No Family Behind: How Can We Reduce the Rising Number of American Families Living in Poverty?”, featured Mayor David N. Cicilline and poverty experts who examined whether the outdated federal poverty measurements are preventing resources from reaching families and elderly Americans and what legislation may be appropriate to drastically reduce the number of U.S. families living in poverty.  Since 2000, the number of Americans living in poverty jumped by 5.7 million to 37.3 million; and the poverty rate rose to 12.5 percent in 2007. 

Sep 24 2008

The Economic Outlook

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, Chairman of the Joint Economic Committee (JEC), held a hearing on the Economic Outlook for the United States with Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Ben Bernanke, on Wednesday, September 24, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. in Room 106 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.  Chairman Bernanke provided his first Congressional testimony following the September Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC).  The Joint Economic Committee, along with Chairman Bernanke, discussed the effects of the credit crunch and housing crisis, growing inflation, and current state of the economic downturn. 

Aug 01 2008

The Employment Situation - July 2008

562 Dirksen Office Building
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer and Representative Carolyn B. Maloney, Chairman and Vice-Chair of the Joint Economic Committee (JEC) respectively, will hold a hearing on the newly released Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) monthly employment figures with Commissioner Keith Hall on Friday, August 1, 2008 at 9:30 am in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 562. Rep. Maloney will preside over the hearing, entitled “The Employment Situation: July 2008.” In the wake of six straight months of job losses, Dr. Hall will assess the recent developments in the labor market.

Jul 30 2008

Efficiency: The Hidden Secret to Solving Our Energy Crisis

106 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, Chairman of the Joint Economic Committee (JEC) held a hearing to examine how energy efficiency programs can drastically reduce our dependence on foreign sources of energy, help us achieve energy independence, and strengthen our economy.  The JEC hearing entitled, “Efficiency: The Hidden Secret to Solving Our Energy Crisis” was held Wednesday, July 30, 2008 at 10:00 am in Room 106 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.  Massachusetts Secretary of Energy, Ian Bowles, discussed that state’s brand new efficiency law signed this month; and Google’s Dan Reicher addressed federal opportunities for new energy efficiency programs and groundbreaking private sector energy-savings programs.  The panelists, also including Dr. Jonathan Koomey from Stanford University and Mr. Mark Mills of ICx Technologies, offered their views on future federal government energy and energy efficiency policies. 

Jul 24 2008

At What Cost?: Egregious Price Increases in the Pharmaceutical Drug Industry

106 Dirksen Senate Office Building
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) convened a hearing of the Joint Economic Committee (JEC) to examine the skyrocketing prices of certain prescription drugs and the impact on the pharmaceutical market, hospital’s budgets and patient’s medical bills. The hearing entitled, "At What Cost?: Egregious Price increases in the Pharmaceutical Drug Industry" was held Thursday, July 24 at 10am in Room 106 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.  Senator Charles E. Schumer, Chairman of the Joint Economic Committee, has been a staunch advocate of lower priced drugs and a competitive pricing market.  The panel of experts explored the causes of recent price increases for treatments for rare diseases and the negative impact on affected families’ fiscal stability and access to care.

Jul 23 2008

How Much More Can American Families Be Squeezed By Stagnant Wages, Skyrocketing Household Costs, And Falling Home Prices?

608 Dirksen Senate Office Building
U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, Chairman of the Joint Economic Committee (JEC) convened a hearing in order to examine the serious impact of rising household costs and stagnant wages in a slumping economy.  The hearing entitled, “How Much More Can American Families Be Squeezed By Stagnant Wages, Skyrocketing Household Costs, And Falling Home Prices?” was held Wednesday July, 23 at 10am in room 608 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.  As the American family continues to suffer from slow wage growth and rising household costs in the declining Bush economy, the JEC invited leading experts to discuss the stranglehold these conditions place on middle class households and examine troubling data found in a new report measuring the economic, education, and health well-being of Americans. 

Jul 10 2008

Your Money, Your Future: Public Pension Plans and the Need to Strengthen Retirement Security and Economic Growth

106 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington D.C. – U.S. Senator Robert P. Casey (D-PA) convened a hearing of the Joint Economic Committee (JEC) to examine the public and private sector impacts of defined benefit pension plans in the public sector.  The hearing entitled, “Your Money, Your Future: Public Pension Plans and the Need to Strengthen Retirement Security and Economic Growth” was held Thursday, July 10 at 10:00am in Room 106 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.  The panel of experts discussed the recent changeover from defined benefits to defined contributions plans and its effect on employees’ retirement income and the U.S. economy. 

Jun 25 2008

Is the Skyrocketing Price of Oil a Bubble or a New Reality for the U.S. Economy?

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, Chairman of the Joint Economic Committee (JEC) held a hearing to examine the state of the global energy markets and the impact of sustained high oil prices on the U.S. economy. The JEC hearing entitled, "Oil Bubble or New Reality: How Will Skyrocketing Oil Prices Affect the U.S. Economy?" was held Wednesday, June 25, 2008 at 9:30 am in Room 106 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. Dr. Daniel Yergin of Cambridge Energy Associates testified along with other energy and economics experts. Dr. Yergin, a Pulitzer Prize winning author and oil expert, said the sharp rise in oil prices has already caused a contraction in many sectors within the U.S. economy which will result in a push for increased fuel efficiency.

Jun 19 2008

Illegal Drugs: Economic Impact, Societal Costs, Policy Responses

Dirksen Senate Office Building 106
Washington D.C. – U.S. Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) convened a hearing of the Joint Economic Committee (JEC) to examine the economic consequences of the United States’ drug policy.  The hearing entitled, “Illegal Drugs: Economic Impact, Societal Costs, Policy Responses” was held Thursday, June 19 at 10am in Room 106 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.  The panel discussed the illegal drug economy in the United States, assessed the costs of U.S. policy responses to combating drug use, and addressed the need for policy reforms.  Last year, Senator Webb and the JEC examined the economic implications of the steep increase in the U.S. prison population.