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WASHINGTON, DC -- Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement today for Labor Day:
“Labor Day gives most Americans a chance to relax and spend time with their families and friends. But this year Labor Day will also come with some anxiety about the economy. Americans of all political stripes are concerned about the direction in which our economy is heading. Since 2001, the majority of American families have been losing ground, unable to keep up with the rising costs of housing, gasoline, food, healthcare, and education. A recent Pew Research poll found that Americans believe that workers were better off a generation ago than they are today.
“The promise of the American Dream is that if you work hard, you can get ahead. That is still true, but under the wrongheaded policies of President Bush and Republican Congressional leaders, it has gotten more difficult. The fact is that their policies are leaving most Americans behind.
“Our country needs a new direction with a growing economy that benefits everyone. Americans should be fairly rewarded for their work, and American families should have real opportunities to get ahead. We need to help make that happen by raising the minimum wage, boosting retirement security, investing in our public schools, making college more affordable, reducing the cost of healthcare, and creating a comprehensive energy policy that doesn’t leave us vulnerable to surges in gas prices.
“Under the Bush Administration, median household income has dropped by $1,300; 5.4 million more Americans are living in poverty; and 6.8 million more Americans lack health insurance. This has happened in spite of a growing economy, not because of a shrinking one. Washington Republicans have passed trillions in tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans, but they refuse even to raise the minimum wage, which is just $5.15 per hour.
“We can take America and all its families and all its great workers in a new direction that restores the promise of the American Dream to everyone.”
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