Labor

America’s dependable labor force has powered our nation through wars, built the roads and bridges we travel and the homes and businesses in which we live and work. Our nation is better for their hard work and they deserve our gratitude and thanks for making our country the great place it is today.

As a Member of the House Committee on Education and Labor, I have worked to ensure that our labor force is equipped to face the challenging days ahead. One of my first official acts upon arriving in Congress was supporting the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007, providing wage increases to America’s 13 million lowest-paid workers. This provides much needed relieve to families struggling under the weight of their financial obligations. The second piece of legislation passed by the Congress this year was a bill that I am very proud to support, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. This legislation clarifies that every paycheck or other compensation resulting from earlier discriminatory pay decision constitutes a violation of the Civil Rights Act.

While on the Education and Labor Committee, I have supported legislation that provides for worker collective bargaining, bars gender, age or sexual orientation discrimination, supported paid parental leave for working families, and fought for paid sick leave in the case of family emergencies. One of the most significant pieces of legislation coming from this Committee was the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), which I strongly supported in Committee and on the Floor of the House. This legislation enables workers to bargain for better wages, benefits, and working conditions by restoring their rights to form unions.

I also sit on the House Committee on Homeland Security. I advocated for providing TSA officers to get the same benefits as other federal employees while working on the Transportation Security Authorization bill. I also worked on the Committee to ensure that chemical workers have access to proper training, equipment and resources. This keeps workers safe, provides a greater quality-of-life and improves work/life balance.

America’s middle-class was built on the hard work of labor organizers and policy-makers who fought for the fair distribution of revenue generated by workers for corporations. This increased equitability enabled workers to become homeowners, raise families and further participate in the American Dream. I will work to ensure the American Dream remains within reach for all.