At the heart of the Democratic message is the belief that all Americans deserve a well-paying job and a fair shot at an economically secure life. Unfortunately, the Trump Administration’s agenda puts corporate profits before the interests of workers. House Democrats have been working to establish the foundations of a strong economy with wage growth and opportunity for all.
Since the start of the 116th Congress, House Democrats have advanced the following policy goals:
- Restoring and reinvigorating the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Since taking office, President Trump has worked to systematically remove power from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. While Republicans listen to Wall Street over Main Street, House Democrats have passed legislation to ensure that the nation’s consumer watchdog is a robust agency that works on behalf of all Americans—especially military families and college students—and brings an end to predatory lending practices.
- Ending gender-based wage discrimination. For far too long, women have not been receiving equal pay for equal work. While Republicans have been in denial of that fact, House Democrats passed the Paycheck Fairness Act to protect individuals who seek to end pay disparities in the workplace. This groundbreaking legislation includes a requirement that employers provide valid (i.e., job-related) reasoning for pay disparities between men and women, restrictions on how employers can use salary histories of prospective employees, prohibitions on retaliation against workers who discuss their wages, and the removal of obstacles against class-action lawsuits challenging pay discrimination.
- Promoting net neutrality. In our era of constant technological advances, not having access to quality and affordable broadband internet service means not having equal opportunity to succeed. Under the Trump Administration, the FCC has eliminated net neutrality requirements, letting internet service providers team up with corporate interests to secure hefty profits at the expense of consumers. Affordable internet access is already difficult to find for millions of Americans. By passing legislation to reestablish net neutrality, House Democrats are ensuring that households everywhere are not held hostage by threats of high costs and slow speeds.
- Reforming the tax code for working people. The 2017 Republican tax bill was a fiscally irresponsible handout to corporate interests and the top 1% at the expense of current and future generations of taxpayers. House Democrats remain committed to undoing the damage from this tax scam and to providing relief for those the Republican bill neglected. The House has passed legislation that reverses the GOP tax increase on Gold Star families, and the House Ways and Means Committee has advanced legislation to expand the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit, along with a provision introduced by Whip Clyburn to repeal the GOP bill’s tax on charities and places of worship.