State of the Economy

Floor Speech

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Ms. HOULAHAN. Madam Speaker, I thank the majority leader for bringing us together this evening to talk about the economy.

January was Jobs Month for me in my district and my team. I spent time home in my community in Pennsylvania and here in Washington focused on three things: one, making sure that our economy is working for everyone and that Pennsylvanians can afford to live where they work and pay their bills while receiving fair pay; two, supporting our small businesses, which are the backbone of our economy; and three, ensuring our workforce is adapting to new technologies and to the future of their work.

Earlier this month, we got the jobs report from December, and there was a lot to be optimistic about. Unemployment rates remain low, and we added more than 300,000 nonfarm jobs.

The administration also likes to point to the record-high stock market as an indication of the impact of its economic policies. To be sure, there are good signs, and this steady economic improvement began well before the President and his administration took office and, thankfully, it continues.

With this in mind, I would like to share, though, what I saw and heard during Jobs Month in my community.

My community is in the enviable position of having a very low unemployment rate. I hear more from employers who are struggling to fill empty positions than from long-term unemployed people who are looking for work.

But that doesn't tell the whole story. The rosy jobs report from January doesn't tell the story of people who work in my community, or who would like to, but can't afford to even live there.

Last week, I was in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, meeting with affordable housing advocates and proponents for more mass transit options near those affordable housing options. During that visit, I learned that in our area, about a quarter of the people are renters.

Working an average wage for renters, a 9-5 job is not nearly enough for a modest, two-bedroom home in my community. People are working extra hours, holding down two jobs or more to be able to afford to live where they work; or they are living elsewhere, where the cost of living is lower, and they are commuting ridiculous amounts of time, using inadequate road and rail infrastructure to get to their work. And they are losing precious time with their families in the process.

A booming stock market is good for some, but it doesn't change the daily math and daily experience of so many people in my community.

The House has passed legislation to raise the minimum wage and to help workers save for retirement, and we need to see action in the Senate to ensure that our economy is working for all Americans, not just for those who have enough money to invest in the stock market.

Earlier this month, many in my community also celebrated progress on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, a trade deal that was important for many small businesses in my community, including our agricultural producers. I was very proud to support that agreement.

But this administration's trade policies have also harmed my community. The trade war in China has hurt small businesses as well as larger manufacturers whose business models are built around global trade in my community.

Although we now have a ``Phase 1'' deal with China, businesses in my community are eager for a real and lasting agreement that doesn't harm the American businesses in an effort to punish China.

Madam Speaker, I also want to highlight just one other aspect of the January jobs report that stuck out to me. Just like here in Congress, women are entering the workforce at historic rates. Like so many women, and men, frankly, I have faced the real struggles of how to balance both raising a family and excelling at work. Our policies need to be adopted to support and encourage our changing workforce.

We have shown that we can work on a bipartisan basis to enact paid parental leave, as an example, for Federal workers, setting the example for other employers.

We need to examine how we provide for childcare for working parents. We need how to examine how to ensure that pregnant workers have protections if they need an accommodation in the job during their pregnancy. And we need to ensure that we are paying equal pay for equal work. All of these policies can help move our economy forward, and all deserve the attention of our Senate and our counterparts in the White House.

Over the last few weeks, I have learned a lot by visiting manufacturing facilities in my community, like OmegaFlex in Exton, Pennsylvania, or laying tile at the Chester County Intermediate Unit, or working alongside the IBEW workers training newly-separated veterans for work.

I have come away deeply optimistic about where we are headed, but also armed with motivation to move forward with the bold policies that we need to make sure our economy is working for everyone, for all of us, to support our small businesses, and to prepare our workforce for the future ahead. There certainly is work to be done.

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