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On Wednesday, January 7 at 10:00 am, the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee held a forum on the economic outlook and the components of an economic recovery plan to spur job creation and create long-term growth. Steering and Policy Committee co-chairs Congressman George Miller (CA-7) and Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (CT-3) chaired the forum, which featured a panel of economists and experts in infrastructure investments. The chairs of the House Science and Technology, Energy and Commerce, Transportation and Infrastructure, Budget, Appropriations and Ways and Means Committees also participated.
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The forum on the state of the economy and the need for a comprehensive jobs and economic recovery package took place on Wednesday 7 January 2009 at 10:00 AM in Washington, DC in the Ways and Means Committee Hearing Room (1100 Longworth House Office Building).
During his campaign, President-Elect Obama promised to fix our broken global trading system by insisting on strong, enforceable labor and environmental standards in future trade agreements. He pledged to re-negotiate the deeply flawed North American Free Trade Agreement, hold off consideration of the proposed trade agreement with Colombia until its government shows real progress in addressing and prosecuting the horrific assassinations of labor leaders and union members in its country, and strengthen assistance for U.S. workers who lose their jobs due to trade. These promises are an enormous step in the right direction, and I hope that the President-Elect and Mr. Kirk will deliver on them.
Our committee looks forward to working with Mr. Kirk and the Obama administration to modernize NAFTA and CAFTA, and to negotiate future trade agreements that will help rebuild and strengthen our economy, restore our competitive edge, and uphold our belief that all workers on this planet deserve basic human rights and labor protections.
Miller has been a leading voice in calling for the Colombian government to do more to effectively address the horrific assassinations of its country’s labor leaders and union members before the U.S. moves forward with its proposed trade agreement with Colombia. Currently, the country’s impunity rate for such murders remains well above 90 percent, and even many convicted killers remain at large. For more information on his efforts, click here.
Congresswoman Solis will take the helm of the Department of Labor during a very trying time for our nation and our workers. Our nation’s growing economic uncertainty demands a Labor Secretary who understands the everyday struggles Americans are facing.
The task of rebuilding the Department of Labor after years of neglect will be particularly daunting. As a colleague and former member of the Education and Labor Committee, I am confident that Hilda Solis is the right person to lead this effort to ensure that the Labor Department fights for working people.
I look forward to working with her and the Obama administration to move the country forward on expanding health care, ensuring fair and equal pay, improving worker safety, strengthening retirement security and rebuilding our middle class.
“Congresswoman Hilda Solis is a very strong champion of working families and will be an outstanding Secretary of Labor. Her record in the California legislature as a leader on labor issues and her excellent work in Congress on behalf our of nation’s working men and women will restore the Department of Labor as an advocate for hard working Americans."
“I congratulate Ron Kirk on his selection as the next U.S. Trade Representative. Earlier this year, he spoke of the importance of ‘responsible trade.’ At this pivotal time for our nation’s economy, our competitiveness, and for the larger global community, I hope that he will champion the kind of responsible trade policies that give all workers a real shot at good jobs and put us on the path towards a more prosperous, green and sustainable future."
In light of today’s devastating economic news that new jobless claims rose to their highest level in more than 16 years, the Senate did the right thing for millions of out-of-work Americans. Unemployment benefits for more than a million Americans are set to expire by the end of the year. This extension will provide much-needed help for these families who still have to put food on the table, pay their home and heating bills, and look for a job.
With our nation’s financial wounds deepening by the day, we can’t allow the rug to get pulled out from under workers looking for a new job. Extending unemployment benefits is a no-brainer – it’s one of the most effective things we can do to help workers and stimulate our economy. With the holiday season fast approaching, it’s time for the President to give workers and families a helping hand by immediately signing this bill.
It is an honor and a privilege to continue to chair the Education and Labor Committee in the next Congress, and I thank my colleagues for their support.
If anything, this historic election reminded us that Americans from all regions, backgrounds and political stripes are united in our shared hopes and aspirations: A quality, affordable education for our children; a good-paying job with decent benefits; and a secure retirement after a lifetime of hard work. In a nation as great as ours, these dreams can – and must – be achieved.
I look forward to working with all members of this committee, the next Congress, and the new administration on a Main Street recovery plan that will revitalize our economy, and toward our larger goal of rebuilding and strengthening America’s middle class. Like President-Elect Obama, I’m confident we can reach this goal by working in a bipartisan way that transcends the politics of the past, and by making sure that our government is open, accountable and engages the public. Moving forward, our committee will also build on our efforts to use innovative strategies to make sure that the voices of Americans around the country are heard here in Washington.
I also know that no one is more excited about the opportunities before us than Senator Ted Kennedy. No one has fought harder for our children, workers and families than Ted, and no one could ask for a better partner in these challenging times. I am thrilled that he has returned to the Senate, and look forward to continuing to work closely with him on the important tasks that lie ahead.
More information on Chairman Miller's priorities for the committee in the 111th Congress »
Several labor measures have been signed into law or passed through the House recently, thanks to the Committee's hard work.