The House GOP Presented The #WrongWay to Fight Poverty Today

Press Release

Earlier today, Speaker Ryan announced the first part of a plan that he calls Republicans' "vision for a Confident America," that he claims will lift people out of poverty. His proposal starts with the premise that too many Americans who work hard and play by the rules just can't get ahead, and some can't even get by. But he fails to put forward any of the real solutions that would make hard work pay off.

A real anti-poverty plan would give workers a long overdue raise, honor the 40-hour work week, make sure workers aren't cheated out of their paychecks, and can join a union of their choice to bargain for a better life.

A real anti-poverty plan would ensure that workers are not one sick day or last-minute work shift away from getting fired by providing paid sick days and family leave; flexible and predictable schedules; and affordable, quality child care.

A real anti-poverty plan would make sure that hardworking women get equal pay for equal work, that women can't be fired simply because they need a simple accommodation during pregnancy, and that discrimination no longer holds working people back.

Ryan's plan does none of these things. Getting serious about poverty means getting serious about the Working Families Agenda. That's what Democrats have done. Not a single Republican has followed suit.

Democrats have offered real solutions to strengthen #workingfamilies that would:

Boost wages for hardworking Americans. Democrats want to raise the minimum wage and expand overtime pay so that working families see bigger paychecks, make sure workers are paid fairly and understand what's in their paychecks, and strengthen workers' rights to organize and bargain for a better life for themselves and their families.
Support and protect families and children in need. We will make it easier for families to go to work by helping them meet basic every day needs through improved access to affordable quality child care and healthy meals at school for their children, and protect our nation's most vulnerable students by addressing the over-criminalization of youth and eliminating disproportionate disciplinary practices in schools.
Improve schools and workforce training. We will make investments that ensure that low-income students and adults have access to high quality, affordable education and training opportunities, in early childhood education and through college or career, including career and technical education, summer jobs, Pell Grants, and apprenticeships.
Level the playing field for all students and workers. We will enact measures to provide explicit protections from discrimination at school or on the job based on gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity and criminal background.
Help Americans plan for the future. We want to protect Americans' hard-earned retirement savings and ensure that pension systems remain solvent for those who've spent their careers paying into them.

The economy is woefully out of balance. Americans are more productive than ever before but wages for working people are nearly stagnant. It's past time to rewrite the rules to make the economy work for everyone. Democrats have proposed a real anti-poverty plan that boosts wages for hardworking Americans, helps workers better balance work and family, and levels the playing field for all students and workers once and for all.

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