Thoughts on Addressing Economic Disparity

Floor Speech

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Mr. STEIL. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Connecticut for yielding.

It is great to be joining him here on the House floor to share with our colleagues the important work that lies ahead for the Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth. Simply put, we will be exploring, questioning, and hearing potential ways to address economic challenges we are seeing across this country. We are, in fact, on a fact-finding mission as we search for policy solutions that create opportunity for every American.

Leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans saw progress. In 2019, the median household income grew by 6.8 percent, the largest increase ever recorded. Minority communities saw even greater growth: Blacks Hispanics, Asians, and women.

But coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, something has changed, which is why the work of this Select Committee is so timely. Labor force participation, both those seeking work and currently employed, are lows not seen since the Carter administration.

Across this country there is a growing disconnect between available jobs and workers ready to work. The government should be supporting and encouraging work and the dignity that comes with it.

Families across the country, from Kenosha to New York, San Francisco to Orlando, are being hurt by rising prices. They feel it when they fill up their car's tank. They feel it at the grocery store. And they are scared they are going to feel it when they go Christmas shopping for their kids in a few weeks.

Inflation is a tax on every American, but it is devastating to low- income Americans.

Chairman Himes, I look forward to working with you to explore what we can do to empower workers to prosper and to expand opportunities for all families to succeed.

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Mr. STEIL. Madam Speaker, I think there is great opportunity as it relates to education and, in particular, workforce development. I think not lost on many of us, as we look out at the disconnect between workers and jobs available, there are over 10 million jobs available across America, yet we continue to have a disconnect between getting workers who are looking for work and the jobs that are available.

We saw in Lorain, like we see in southeast Wisconsin, signs looking for workers. As we walked into the hearing, I remarked that there were ``Help Wanted'' signs across the street, yet there were many people who were still unemployed.

Hopefully, we can look at the workforce development aspects of education in the United States to make sure that we are connecting workers with the jobs that are available.

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Mr. STEIL. Absolutely. We see this time and again in southeast Wisconsin. We see businesses that are shrinking hours to try to deal with and navigate through this challenging work environment.

I know we will be having a hearing coming up on automation, and I don't think it can be lost on us that many businesses are looking and the struggle to get workers back to work and the impact that may have on automation and future job growth in the United States.

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