Committee Democrats at Hearing: President Trump Has Broken His Promise to Workers
WASHINGTON – Today, at a Subcommittee on Workforce Protections hearing titled, “Regulatory Reform: Unleashing Economic Opportunity for Workers and Employers,” Democrats identified several ways in which President Trump has broken his promise to America’s workers. By delaying, weakening, and rolling back workplace protections, his administration is leaving workers even more vulnerable to wage theft, fatal accidents, and workplace discrimination.
“Right out of the gate, the Trump administration rolled out an ideological, anti-regulatory agenda that has negatively affected already struggling workers,” said Congressman Mark Takano (CA-41), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections. “The Trump administration’s efforts to delay, weaken, or rollback Department of Labor regulations—with assistance from Congressional Republicans—puts anti-regulatory ideology ahead of efforts to protect workers from lost pay, preventable workplace accidents, and continued discrimination in the workplace.”
The enormous cost of President Trump’s broken promises is falling on workers in the form of lost pay, preventable workplace accidents and deaths, and an even bigger divide between the wealthy few and the vast majority of Americans.
“If the Trump administration and congressional Republicans were truly looking for policies to ensure that
the economy delivers for all workers—and not just the already-affluent—they would not spend their time painting regulations as the problem while dismantling key worker protections,” said Dr. Heidi Shierholz, Senior Economist and Director of Policy at the Economic Policy Institute. “They would instead tackle policies that would actually lead to a fair economy.”
In the hearing, several Democrats pointed out the administration and Congressional Republicans are presenting the American people with a false choice between an economy that is strong and an economy that treats workers with dignity and respect. The Obama administration – which President Trump and Congressional Republicans accused of implementing burdensome regulations – oversaw 75 consecutive months of job growth, the longest streak of total job growth on record.
Instead of rolling back key worker protections, Democrats are offering Americans a better deal and pledging to create new jobs by investing in the workers who power the American economy.
OPENING STATEMENT: Ranking Member Mark Takano (CA-41), Subcommittee on Workforce Protections
TESTIMONY: Dr. Heidi Shierholz, Senior Economist and Director of Policy, Economic Policy Institute
###
Press Contact
Democratic Press Office, 202-226-0853
Next Article Previous Article