Jobs and the Economy
I believe that employment is a human right. I share the view of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who said: "If a man doesn't have a job or an income, he has neither life nor liberty nor the possibility for the pursuit of happiness. He merely exists." That is why my top priority in Congress is to ensure that every American who wants to work can find employment or training.
Providing abundant jobs and training is not only good ethics but also good economics: When every person is trained, working, earning a salary, and contributing to the tax base, there are more customers for American goods and services. This means more government revenue and a smaller national debt. Under full employment, fewer Americans will need government assistance. And, most importantly, this means that workers have greater bargaining power, and, in turn, higher wages and better benefits.
I’ve introduced two major pieces of legislation that would put us on the path towards a full employment society:
The Full Employment Federal Reserve Act of 2015, H.R.3541, ensures that the leadership at the Federal Reserve prioritizes job creation over often overblown concerns about inflation. In the last thirty five years, the Federal Reserve has not paid sufficient attention to the full employment part of its mandate, resulting in the American economy has consistently facing unnecessarily high unemployment and inflation that is well below the optimal rate. Learn more about the The Full Employment Federal Reserve Act of 2015.
The Humphrey-Hawkins 21st Century Full Employment and Training Act of 2015, H.R. 1000, would establish two trust funds to create jobs and training programs in the areas that need it most. It would not at a dime our federal deficit, as it is funded by a small tax on Wall Street speculation. The banks got bailed out after they caused the Great Recession – it’s time for workers to receive their bailout.For more info about H.R. 1000
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More on Jobs and the Economy
Washington, D.C. – Congressional Full Employment Caucus Co-Chairs Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) and Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (D-FL) today released the following statement on May jobs report numbers:
Washington, D.C. — Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (MI-13) today introduced the Water Affordability, Transparency, Equity and Reliability (WATER) Act. This legislation would provide nearly $35 billion annually to modernize U.S. water infrastructure. The WATER Act funds infrastructure projects by closing a loophole on offshore corporate profits. The WATER Act would make these profits subject to U.S. tax in the year they are generated and ensure that all funds would go to publicly-owned water systems, rather than for-profit providers.
Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (MI-13), the Dean of the Congress and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) sent a letter signed by 127 Members of the U.S. House and U.S. Senate, urging the Federal Reserve to prioritize diversity in its leadership and to focus its attention on the high rates of unemployment in communities of color across the country.
In a new editorial for The Nation, Michigan Congressman John Conyers lays the blame for Flint’s ongoing water crisis squarely on the state’s Emergency Manager law, Public Act 436, which he describes as “a vehicle for corporate privatization,” conflicts of interest, and corr
The Federal Reserve may not have raised its benchmark interest rate on Thursday, but advocates of full employment still worry it could do so before the economy is ready.
Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), a senior House progressive, introduced a bill that same day that would make a future rate increase dependent on much lower unemployment than the U.S. is likely to achieve anytime soon.