Creating Good Jobs
Our economy is recovering from the Great Recession, but there is still considerable work to be done. Too many Americans can't find jobs or are working part-time or for lower pay than before the economic crisis. Too many Americans who are working have seen their hours shortened or their benefits cut back. Too many feel that their part of the American Dream – to provide for their families with a solid paycheck, own a home, send their kids to college, retire with dignity – is slipping away. I will not accept that as the new status quo, the "new normal", and I have proposed ideas on how to create good jobs and get the economy moving again.
Creating good jobs will help improve our entire economy in many ways. What the economy needs is more confident consumers -- workers with steady incomes are more likely to buy goods in local stores, go out to eat a meal or even go on a vacation – and that creates more jobs. In addition, putting people back to work will bring down the deficit, as more workers are paying taxes and fewer families are dependent on unemployment insurance and food stamps.
It is also critical that when we create jobs we also support the workers who fill them. I am a strong supporter of unions and the labor movement and the right to collectively bargain.
More on Creating Good Jobs
As I mentioned to you last week, extremist Republicans proceeded with yet another vote to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over the Biden administration’s handling of the U.S.-Mexico border. Despite the fact that Republicans failed to produce any evidence that Secretary Mayorkas had violated his constitutional duties, the Republicans had enough votes this time around and Secretary Mayorkas was impeached by a vote of 214-213. Every Democrat present and three Republicans voted against the measure.
As I have said many times before, we live in the richest country in the world at the richest moment in history. Yet, many Americans are unable to feel the full magnitude of our wealth. One of the biggest problems we face is income inequality. As big corporations continue to rake in record profits, there are many families struggling to put food on the table. For this reason, I was one of the 70 members who voted against a $78 billion tax bill that came before the House of Representatives.
Happy New Year! I hope your 2024 is off to a great start. Here in Washington, it is a new year, but we are seeing the same chaos from House Republicans. The far-right members of the Republican Party are angry that Speaker Mike Johnson has agreed to a deal with Democrats that will hopefully avert a partial shutdown of the government at the end of the week.
Right now, we are only four days away from a government shutdown and Kevin McCarthy and the Republicans continue to put forth extreme legislation that has zero chance of passing the Senate. Republicans would rather shutdown our government than reach a bipartisan agreement. What we are seeing is a total collapse of the proper operations of government on the part of the Republicans.
After a fantastic district work period filled with constituent meetings and site visits, I am back in Washington, D.C. where we are working to pass federal funding bills by September 30th in order to avoid a government shutdown. But, right now, Congress is at a standstill. House Republicans have reneged on their budget agreement with the White House - the agreement they reached after holding our economy hostage and threatening to default on the debt. And now they want to further slash domestic spending levels and endanger critical services for the American people.
On our first day back in Washington, what did Kevin McCarthy decide to do? Call for a baseless impeachment inquiry to appease the MAGA extremists. Meanwhile, I am working to ensure that our government does not shut down. The lives of Americans are not a game.
EVANSTON – Today, U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), a Chief Deputy Whip and the Ranking Member of the Innovation, Data, and Commerce Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, released the following statement in observance of Labor Day:
“Every Labor Day, we come together to honor the millions of American workers that keep our economy strong. It is their hard work, talent, and productivity that make our country prosperous, and they deserve to be celebrated today and every day.
As a longtime consumer advocate, I have worked very closely with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), which is tasked with keeping the public safe from consumer products that pose an unreasonable risk of injury or death. In addition to its own work, the CPSC relies on online marketplaces, like Meta, to keep consumers safe by preventing the posting for sale of products that are known to be dangerous.
Last week, the Supreme Court handed down a series of misguided rulings that will make it harder for individuals to achieve the American dream. These rulings—on affirmative action, LGBTQIA+ rights, and student loans—are the result of a corrupt, right-wing majority on the Supreme Court that is working against the wishes and interests of the American people.