10.29.15

House Democrats Introduce Working Families Resolution

WASHINGTON – In honor of hardworking families across the nation, today, 108 House Democrats introduced H. Res. 506, the Working Families Resolution. This resolution calls on Congress to take up the responsible policy solutions working families need to make a better life for themselves and their families. Earlier this week, in commemoration of National Work and Family Month, Members came together for a Working Families Day of Action to highlight the many ways Congress can continue to support our nation’s working families.

“We know that families across the nation are working harder than ever before, but they are still struggling to make ends meet,” said Ranking Member Scott (D-VA). “Rather than address the very problems facing working people in our country, this Congress has wasted taxpayer dollars on the Benghazi Committee and tried more than 60 times to roll back the Affordable Care Act. It’s time for Congress to get to work on restoring economic stability for our nation’s families and the Working Families Resolution outlines how we can get this done. The policies in the resolution will strengthen our workforce, strengthen our families, and strengthen our economy.”

“October is National Work and Family Month, and working families today face grave challenges,” said Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT). “The greatest economic challenge facing Americans today is that too many jobs do not pay enough money for people to live on. The Working Families Resolution reflects an agenda designed to change that reality. If Congress is serious about making work-life balance a right for all Americans, and not just a privileged few, the Majority should bring up the bills outlined in this resolution immediately.”

The Working Families Resolution outlines ten pieces of legislation that will:

Boost wages. American workers are more productive than ever but they are still not seeing their fair share of the wealth they create. The Agenda includes the Raise the Wage Act to increase the minimum wage and abolish the outdated tipped minimum wage; the Workplace Action for a Growing Economy (WAGE) Act to strengthen workers’ ability to collectively bargain for higher wages and better working conditions; and the Payroll Fraud Prevention Act to end the misclassification of employees as independent contractors which leads to the erosion of wages and benefits.
Help workers balance work and family life. The world has changed a lot in the last 30 to 40 years, but the workplace has not. If we want strong families, we need to address the realities working parents face today. The Agenda includes policies to ensure that no worker has to choose between their income and their health or their children. The Healthy Families Act guarantees workers the right to earn up to seven paid sick days to care for themselves or a loved one who is sick; the Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act ensures that workers can take paid family and medical leave when they need it; the Schedules that Work Act provides flexible, predictable and stable work schedules; and the Strong Start for America’s Children Act gives workers access to high-quality, early-learning opportunities, and more affordable, stable child care.
Level the playing field. Discrimination remains a persistent barrier to working families’ ability to get ahead. The Agenda includes the Paycheck Fairness Act which strengthens protections from pay discrimination to help close the wage gap; the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act which ensures that women can get reasonable job accommodations when they need them to continue working safely during pregnancy; and the Equality Act which makes unmistakably clear that workplace discrimination against LGBT individuals is illegal.

The Working Families Resolution has 109 House cosponsors: Rosa L. DeLauro, Donna F. Edwards, Linda T. Sánchez, Judy Chu, Keith Ellison, Raúl M. Grijalva, Lois Frankel, Doris O. Matsui, Frederica S. Wilson, Jerrold Nadler, David N. Cicilline, Mark Pocan, Jared Polis, Katherine M. Clark, Suzanne Bonamici, Joe Courtney, Susan Davis, Mark DeSaulnier, Marcia L. Fudge, Rubén Hinojosa, Hakeem S. Jeffries, Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan, Mark Takano, Donald S. Beyer, Jr., Luis V. Gutiérrez, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Barbara Lee, Ann Kirkpatrick, Alan Grayson, Marcy Kaptur, Jim McDermott, Jan Schakowsky, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Sheila Jackson Lee, Gregory W. Meeks, John K. Delaney, Paul Tonko, Cheri Bustos, André Carson, Kathy Castor, Danny K. Davis, Louise M. Slaughter, Donald M. Payne, Jr., Yvette D. Clarke, Michael M. Honda, Chaka Fattah, Brenda L. Lawrence, James R. Langevin, Carolyn B. Maloney, Niki Tsongas, Seth Moulton, Theodore E. Deutch, Corrine Brown, Loretta Sanchez, Janice Hahn, Terri A. Sewell, Robert A. Brady, Mark Takai, Mike Quigley, James P. McGovern, Alma S. Adams, Betty McCollum, Gene Green, John Lewis, John Garamendi, Tony Cárdenas, Jared Huffman, José E. Serrano, Grace F. Napolitano, Steve Cohen, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Bill Pascrell, Jr., Chris Van Hollen, Alcee L. Hastings, Brendan F. Boyle, Elijah E. Cummings, Frank Pallone, Jr., Tim Ryan, Grace Meng, Eddie Bernice Johnson, John Conyers, Jr., Albio Sires, Emanuel Cleaver, Adam Smith, Marc A. Veasey, Chellie Pingree, Sanford D. Bishop, Jr., Cedric L. Richmond, Earl Blumenauer, Al Green, Derek Kilmer, Debbie Dingell, Joaquin Castro, Robin L. Kelly, Eliot L. Engel, Ted W. Lieu, Daniel T. Kildee, Charles B. Rangel, Tammy Duckworth, Kathleen M. Rice, David E. Price, Wm. Lacy Clay, Rick Larsen, Sam Farr, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Lois Capps, Brian Higgins, Joyce Beatty, Donald Norcross

In addition to today’s resolution, the Education & the Workforce Democrats released state report cards highlighting nationwide and statewide trends affecting working families. All report cards can be found here and below:

Working Families Report Card: Alabama PDF

Working Families Report Card: Alaska PDF

Working Families Report Card: Arizona PDF

Working Families Report Card: Arkansas PDF

Working Families Report Card: California PDF

Working Families Report Card: Colorado PDF

Working Families Report Card: Connecticut PDF

Working Families Report Card: Delaware PDF

Working Families Report Card: Florida PDF

Working Families Report Card: Georgia PDF

Working Families Report Card: Hawaii PDF

Working Families Report Card: Idaho PDF