Economy and Jobs

I urge my Wisconsin colleague to continue the dialogue on the most effective ways to eradicate poverty. However, if we are going to have a real impact in the lives of our constituents, we need to change the conversation. Our poverty programs are not broken. They should be strengthened, not diminished. Read more

By Rob Capriccioso For those clamoring for the president to appoint a tribal economic development council, the wheel doesn’t have to be reinvented, say tribal advocates—and he wouldn’t have to use an executive order to do so, either. There has been a law on the books since 2000, the Indian Tribal Regulatory Reform and Business Act, which would allow the president to appoint a council filled with tribal leaders and business executives that could work together to develop plans to improve the econ... Read more

By Cristina Marcos The House on Tuesday rejected a proposal to limit GOP efforts to review Consumer Financial Protection Bureau spending. Rep. Gwen Moore's (D-Wis.) amendment to the fiscal 2015 Financial Services appropriations bill would strike a provision that allows for transfers of funds from the Federal Reserve to the CFPB to be reviewed by appropriators. The amendment was rejected 170-244. The CFPB, which was created by the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial overhaul, is not funded through the ann... Read more

By Nicole Duran All eight of Wisconsin's House members voted for a job-training bill last week, sending it to President Barack Obama's desk for signing. When the measure came before the Senate last month, all but three senators, including Oshkosh Republican Ron Johnson supported it. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act attempts to streamline the workforce development system and bolster training for disabled and young workers. In explaining his "nay" vote, Johnson said the legislation wa... Read more

Gun violence is a plague that steals the lives of far too many in our community. Each time we lose a life, our hearts break and the violence continues. We must all work together, on the local, state and federal levels, to thwart these crimes. Read more

Today this •Do-Nothing Congress' has done something to bring jobs to the people we represent. In a rare bipartisan moment, we chose to create significant changes to the way we connect our constituents to the skills they need to thrive. Read more

We cannot allow the Supreme Court of the United States, congressional gridlock or state legislatures to undo what our civil rights leaders have built. Congress must come together and pass a strengthened Voting Rights Act. Read more

By Nicole Duran MOORE, DUFFY OUTLINE VIEWS ON EXPORT-IMPORT BANK DEBATE The latest bane of Tea Party-leaning Republicans is the Export-Import Bank, which helps U.S. companies finance exports. They want to shutter the 80-year-old bank, whose congressional charter expires Sept. 30, saying it's a waste of taxpayer money that picks winners and losers among U.S. companies. If Congress doesn't reauthorize it, groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce say American businesses will suffer. The two Wis... Read more

Contrary to Republican rhetoric, the Ex-Im Bank is not •crony capitalism.' It's a proven jobs engine. Allowing the Ex-Im Bank to close in September will inflict unnecessary harm to our economy, our communities and American businesses, large and small. Read more

By Reilly Dowd It is the unemployment version of the national debt clock. On this “Witness Wednesday,” the number ticked up to 3,095,023 long-term unemployed Americans during an event Republicans consider a publicity stunt but Democrats see as central to their midterm message. The rising tally is of the number of those cut off from emergency unemployment compensation benefits since Congress refused additional relief to the long-term unemployed. This week’s “Witness Wednesday” took place outside... Read more