Photo: YouTube
WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Jim Himes (CT-04), Chairman of the U.S. House Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth, announced the release of his Committee’s final report, Bridging the Divide: Building an Economy that Works for All.
“Our Committee was determined to listen to people whose voices are not normally heard in Washington: in the hulking shadows of shuttered steel mills in Lorain, Ohio; in isolated residential colonias along the Texas-Mexico border; and in previously redlined neighborhoods in Milwaukee,” noted Chairman Himes in the report. “If we know one thing for sure it is this: Give Americans an opportunity to flourish and they will amaze the world. We urge the Congress to move speedily on the passage of the initiatives chronicled here.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi established the Committee in 2020 to shed light on the country’s growing prosperity gap, as well as propose practical, evidence-based, and analytically sound solutions for Congress to consider. Over the course of the 117th Congress, the Committee held hearings and roundtable discussions with economists, policy experts, and representatives from the public and private sectors to better understand the obstacles that limit opportunities to achieving the American Dream.
These hearings and national field visits— combined with in-depth consultations with the country’s leading economists, scholars, and advocates —helped the Committee develop its final report to address the contributing factors and systemic barriers keeping Americans from finding economic security. The report also includes a series of actionable, bipartisan policy recommendations that the 118th Congress can implement to provide immediate economic support to the growing share of Americans that are struggling to make ends meet.
The proposals and policy recommendations underscore three main areas where the federal government can make a meaningful impact:
Investing in individuals
Early Education
Lifelong Learning
Caregiving
Small Businesses
Investing in communities
Affordable and Accessible Housing
Hard Infrastructure Investments
Dismantling structural elements that many economists agree are hindering Americans’ economic growth and mobility
The Geography of Unequal Opportunity
The Balance of Power Between Employers and Workers
Economic Security Programs
Tax Policy and Equal Opportunity
Market Competition Policy
“Economic disparity and the lack of good opportunities for all Americans are challenges that have an impact on nearly every facet of our society,” continued Chairman Himes. “If we don’t take action, these problems will further hinder the nation’s potential for innovation and growth. That is why every elected representative must work together to help every American achieve the bright and prosperous future that they so richly deserve.”
The report is being released alongside the Committee’s groundbreaking documentary-style film, Grit & Grace: The Fight for the American Dream. Narrated by Emmy award-winner Sarah Jessica Parker, this first-of-its-kind film showcases three powerful stories from across the country that explore what it means to find economic security in America and the diverse paths people take to get there.
The 30-minute motion picture – described by the Washington Post’s Jacqueline Alemany as “an unprecedented break from the traditional output of lawmakers on Capitol Hill” – will premiere December 13 at the National Archives as part of a special event centered around storytelling and the American Dream. In addition to families from West Virginia, California, and North Carolina, the project also features Committee Members who have personally experienced economic hardship and insecurity in their lives.
Click here to read the Committee’s final report: https://fairgrowth.house.gov/report
