Issue Position: Working Americans

Issue Position

Lowering Gas Prices -- Since arriving in Congress, Congressman Bishop has fought hard to lower gas prices on Long Island while reducing our dependency on foreign oil. He has also been a leader in the effort to repeal unaffordable tax breaks for Big Oil and has fought against industrializing the Long Island Sound with the Broadwater LNG facility.

Fighting the Republican Assault on Organized Labor -- Congressman Bishop has played a vital role in combating House Republicans' assault on organized labor. By standing up for the fundamental American right to organize, Congressman Bishop has made it clear that he will fight for a stronger, more inclusive middle class.

Making College More Affordable -- Working closely with the Obama Administration, Congressman Bishop has worked tirelessly to make attending college a more accessible and affordable goal. Congressman Bishop played an integral role in the negotiations to make unprecedented investments into the Pell Grants program and to make the transition from private to direct student lending. These federal policies have expanded college access to millions of Americans and given countless students their shot at the American Dream.

No Child Left Behind -- Congressman Bishop has worked in a bipartisan manner with leaders in both the House of Representatives and Senate to improve the Bush Administration's No Child Left Behind (NCLB) policy to better align federal, state, and local responsibilities to our schools. Rather than completely rejecting NCLB as an outright failure, Congressman Bishop has met with state and local school leaders to build consensus on a federal approach that will better empower students, parents, and teachers to provide the most complete education possible to our future leaders.

Supporting the Payroll Tax Cut -- The payroll tax cut is a commonsense policy that puts an average of $40 in the pocket of every working American every month. An overwhelming majority of economists agree that the payroll tax cut is one of the most effective stimulative economic measures that Congress can enact. Since the passage of the payroll tax cut in December 2011, the unemployment rate has dropped by 1.1 percent and our economy has gained 2.35 million jobs in the private sector. While these are very encouraging indicators, we must continue to provide the resources necessary to maintain our economic momentum.

Unemployment Insurance Extension -- Due to the depths and severity of the economic downturn in 2008, countless Americans have relied upon the availability of federal emergency unemployment insurance to keep them afloat. Congressman Bishop has proudly supported extensions of these measures and firmly supports the macroeconomic theory that the emergency unemployment insurance program directly benefits consumers, producers, and taxpayers.

A Fair America is a Strong America - All Americans should pay their fair share -- For too long, the top one percent has reaped the benefits of a tax code heavily rigged in their favor. There is simply no excuse why Warren Buffet's secretary should be paying a higher tax rate than the richest man in the United States. It is time to take a hard look at the current tax rates for millionaires and billionaires and implement serious reforms to bring their rates back in line with historical norms in order to provide the services that the American people demand.

"Making Work Pay" Tax Credit -- As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Congressman Bishop proudly supported the Making Work Pay tax credit. This tax credit reached 95 percent of working American families and represented the broadest tax cut in history by directly impacting more than 100 million taxpayers. By reducing the amount of money withheld in paychecks throughout the course of the year, Americans received up to $800 from the federal government through Making Work Pay. Economists from across the ideological spectrum have praised this tax credit as a successful attempt to address some of the devastating impacts of the recession on working families everywhere.

Maintaining Equality in our School System -- Through his efforts in the re-authorization of legislation related to elementary, secondary, and post-secondary education, Congressman Bishop has fought to maintain civil rights protections to ensure that all Americans receive a meaningful education. Congressman Bishop has been unwavering in his support for college aid programs, including Pell Grants, Federal Student Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG), TRIO, and the Perkins Loan program to provide access to higher education to students from low-income and minority backgrounds. At the elementary and secondary levels, he has consistently supported programs like IDEA and increased Title I spending to provide educational equality for students with disabilities and English Language Learners.

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