Families First

Floor Speech

Mr. McNERNEY. Madam Speaker, the average family income in Stockton, California, has gone down 12 percent over the last 3 years. Families are working longer hours for less pay, and this is happening across the Nation. Wages are falling, while the cost of living inches up. That is why Democrats have a plan to put families first.

First, let's put people to work now by fixing our aging infrastructure and providing tax incentives for hiring. Then let's create a workforce of the future by providing universal early childhood education and give more Pell grants to college students.

Let's make sure that women make equal pay for equal work and that families have quality, affordable child care. I ask my Republican colleagues: Why aren't we doing these things right now? Don't the middle class families deserve some help?

There are other critical issues languishing here, such as immigration reform and action on climate change. We need leadership, not inaction. I challenge our Republican colleagues to get to work now to start solving our Nation's problems

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