Brad Miller: “I disagree with my friend, Mr. Bachus, who said this bill is not about income and equality. I think it is at least…”

“I disagree with my friend, Mr. Bachus, who said this bill is not about income and equality. I think it is at least partly about income and equality. And I disagree with Mr. Roskam, who said that corporate executives, the CEOs, are responsible for the growth in the American economy, the increase in productivity in the American economy, and therefore they should be getting paid much more than they are. Mr. Chairman, I think the American worker is not getting enough credit for the growth in the American economy, for the increase in the productivity of the American economy. They are not getting enough credit on the floor of this House tonight, and they aren't getting enough credit in their paychecks, in how they are compensated, and there is a widening gap. It has never been a particularly small gap in this country. Fifteen years ago, the average CEO, the typical CEO, made 140 times what the average American worker at that corporation made. Now, 15 years later, it is 500 times what they make. It is a significant part of what the corporation makes overall; it is now 10.3 percent. The aggregate compensation of the top five executives is now 10.3 percent of the corporate profits of major corporations, public corporations in America. That is twice what it was 15 years ago.”