Jobs and the Economy

President Obama inherited an economy in free fall, with huge deficits, skyrocketing health care costs, dwindling employment, and banking and housing markets on the brink of collapse. Working with the President, Democrats stabilized the financial system and helped to prevent a second Great Depression. An economy that was losing 700,000 jobs a month is now gaining jobs. We still have a long way to go, but we are now moving forward on the road to recovery.

President Obama and Democrats are fighting to strengthen our economy further and create jobs for American workers by ending tax loopholes for corporations, providing tax cuts to small businesses, investing in a clean-energy economy, and putting Americans to work rebuilding our infrastructure.

Democrats are fighting to repair a decade of damage and grow an economy based on hard work and responsibility, not greed and reckless speculation—an economy that strengthens our country and middle-class families for the long run. The current recession has touched nearly all of us in some way, but the heart of America’s promise is our resilience to overcome hardship. Democrats are committed to helping all Americans confront these challenges—spurring job creation, rebuilding our infrastructure, investing in clean-energy technologies, and restoring fairness and opportunity to our economy.

Democrats recognize the importance of meeting our most urgent needs—not just in the short term but also in the long run. Starting with the passage of the Recovery Act, Democrats began a series of strategic investments in health care, energy, and education that are laying the groundwork to build a stronger economic foundation for the future.

Democrats cut taxes for 95 percent of working families, provided help for small businesses and homeowners, and strengthened consumer protections for anyone who has a credit card or a bank loan. Despite Republican obstruction at almost every turn, Democrats have provided relief for hardworking Americans who lost their jobs through no fault of their own.

Democrats reinstated fiscal responsibility in government spending and ensured that American taxpayers will never again be forced to bail out big banks.
We still have work to do, but Democrats are moving forward with a “Made in America” economic plan to strengthen American industries and create jobs for American workers by:

Ending tax loopholes that let corporations hide profits overseas, and investing those dollars in small businesses that create jobs in America;
Providing tax cuts to small businesses and expanding lending so that businesses can create new jobs;
Investing in a clean-energy economy, and providing tax credits to spark manufacturing of windmills, solar panels, and electric cars here at home; and
Putting Americans to work rebuilding roads, bridges, rails, and ports, strengthening our economy and our infrastructure across all 50 states.
Democrats stand for the values of hard work and responsibility, and we know that as a country we are most successful when we invest in our people—middle-class families and small business owners—who can grow our economy from the bottom up. Together, we have begun to lay a new foundation for growth, building an economy that works for all Americans.

Recent Updates

Wednesday, March 6, 2013
The GOP sequester: Defenseless
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Republicans continue to refuse to work with President Obama and Democrats to reach a balanced approach to reducing the deficit and averting the sequester. Their insistence on putting politics first has put our nation's military preparedness on the line and jeopardized the livelihood of the 800,000 Defense Department employees who now face furloughs—the consequences of which are already being felt across the country. Here's a snapshot.

Republicans continue to refuse to work with President Obama and Democrats to reach a balanced approach to reducing the deficit and averting the sequester. Their insistence on putting politics first has put our nation's military preparedness on the line and jeopardized the livelihood of the 800,000 Defense Department employees who now face furloughs—the consequences of which are already being felt across the country. Here's a snapshot:

As many as 27,000 civilian military employees will be furloughed in Alabama, which will cause an estimated loss of more than $1.9 billion to the state.

The Air Force faces furloughs for 180,000 civilian workers, resulting in the loss of 31.5 million man hours of productivity.

Major General James McConville said in a speech at Kentucky's Fort Campbell: "I wondered if people really understood what the effects of sequestration and a pending furlough would do to our civilian workforce and the families of this division as we went off to war. I wondered if they knew that our great mission support element…will be limited to a 32-hour work week and incur a 20 percent pay cut. I wondered if they were aware that our teachers are government service employees and that the kids of our deployed soldiers will only be able to go to school four days a week."

At El Paso's Fort Bliss, most of the 11,000 civilian employees on base will be hit with a 20 percent pay cut starting April 21 until the end of September.

A $30 million construction project intended to fix South Bend's National Guard Armory has been put on hold because of the GOP sequester.

Navy frigates will stop conducting drug patrols in the Caribbean and end their participation in a joint operation that stopped 160 tons of cocaine rom reaching U.S. streets—all because of the GOP sequester.

Tell Republicans to put our country first. Add your name now.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Equal pay for equal work
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Women’s History Month is a time when I reflect on all of the strong women who have worked tirelessly to ensure that my voice can be heard. In order for women to continue to forge ahead on the path to full equality, we must have equal pay for equal work. One of the highlights of President Obama's State of the Union speech was making sure hard work leads to a decent living wage. Our economy is strongest when we are expanding opportunity and rewarding the hard work of every American. Raising the minimum wage from $7.25 to $9 an hour and closing the pay gap builds a ladder of opportunity into the middle class for those willing to climb it.
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Wednesday, March 6, 2013
See how the GOP sequester is hurting communities nationwide
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When they chose not to come to the table and stop the sequester, Republicans in Congress declared tax breaks for rich were more important than jobs or education, health care or defense. Check out—and share—http://www.gopsequester.com/ to see how the the GOP sequester is hurting communities across the country.

When they chose not to come to the table and stop the sequester, Republicans in Congress declared tax breaks for rich were more important than jobs or education, health care or defense. Check out—and share—http://www.gopsequester.com/ to see how the the GOP sequester is hurting communities across the country.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
What the GOP sequester means for education
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Republicans made a stark choice when they refused to work with President Obama and Democrats to avert the sequester: They declared that tax loopholes for the wealthy are more important than protecting middle-class families.

As a result, school districts, teachers, and families across the country are bracing for dramatic, damaging—and unnecessary—cuts to their education programs. Stories like these are popping up across the country. Here's a snapshot of what the GOP sequester means for education:

In Arizona, the Window Rock School District in the Navajo nation is proposing to close three of its seven schools as a direct result of the GOP sequester. Those schools are among the 1,600 public schools on Native American reservations and military bases that are reeling from the cuts to their budgets.

University of Nevada–Las Vegas students expect to lose a percentage of their financial aid and see the availability of campus jobs dwindle because of the GOP sequester. Statewide, more than 100 work-study students could lose their jobs.

The University of Missouri expects a $17 million loss in funding. That puts student financial aid at risk. 1,166 Missouri students could lose federal work-study benefits, and nearly 2,000 students could lose federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants.

48,000 young children would lose their access to Head Start—more than 30 percent of whom are Latino.

School officials in Gainesville, Florida, predict cuts in funding for school nutrition, special education, reading skills, migrant education, and programs for low-income and at-risk children.

Georgia is expected to lose $28.6 million in federal funding for primary and secondary education. This loss of funding puts 390 teacher and teacher's aide jobs at risk.

The Association of American Medical Colleges estimates that the GOP sequester will force 50,000 job losses across medical schools and health care facilities nationwide.

Southern Oregon Head Start expects their current school year to be shortened as a result of the GOP sequester. Next year, 50 children could lose their spots at this preschool program.

Fed up? Tell Republicans that our children's educations are more important than politics. Add your name now.
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