On the recordMarch 25, 2015
I want to start by joining the chairman of the committee in thanking all Members for a vigorous debate, and especially to thank the staff of the Budget Committee. As for the Republican budget itself, nothing has changed since we began the debate yesterday to make it any better. It is the wrong direction for America. Madam Chair, when we gather here today, there is good news and bad news and some very bad news. The good news is the economy has been picking up. More Americans are going back to work. Not everything is rosy. We have a long way to go, but the trends are in the right direction. {time} 1830 The bad news is that Americans are working harder than ever, but a lot of them feel like they are running in place, and many are falling behind. This is not a new problem. It is a chronic problem. We have seen worker productivity in this country go up and up and up over the last several decades, but that additional hard work and productivity has not translated into higher wages for most working Americans. They have seen flat paychecks. If it is not going into higher wages for most workers, where is it going? It has gone disproportionately to the folks at the very, very top. They have been doing just great, but everybody else has been falling behind. Now, we had some good news after the election. The Speaker of this House and the Republican leader said they understood this issue.…
