Issue Position: Building Opportunities for the Middle Class

Issue Position

Income inequality has been called the "defining challenge of our time." We need to rise to this challenge and build a ladder for those seeking to break into the middle class. There's no better place to start than by raising the minimum wage. Washington state has a minimum wage that is the envy of many others, but there's more to be done. If I'm re-elected, I'll work hard in Congress to increase the national minimum wage to $10.10 and tie future increases to inflation.

But raising the minimum wage is only a partial solution. Despite falling unemployment, there are many folks that have been out of a job and are considered long-term unemployed. If re-elected, I'll continue my fight to extend unemployment insurance.
I'm also fighting to support our students and send the message that America will invest in you. I worked to stop the doubling of interest rates on student loans. And I introduced a bill to protect private student loan borrowers from "auto-defaults" when a loan cosigner, often a parent or grandparent, dies or files from bankruptcy. The last thing a grieving student needs is to deal with default on a loan that they have been paying on time.

But to truly build up the middle class, we need to put people back to work.

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