In June 2020, Speaker Pelosi appointment me chair of the Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth. The Committee will develop solutions to the key economic issue of our time: the yawning prosperity gap between wealthy Americans and everyone else. America is more unequal today than it has ever been, and far more unequal than other developed nations. Great wealth disparities slow our economy, poison our politics and offend our moral sensibilities. The Committee was dissolved in January 2023 at the start of the 118th Congress.
Disparity is not a Democratic or Republican problem. It is an American problem challenging our great cities, sprawling suburbs and rural heartland. Inspired by Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson, the committee will study the causes and consequences of economic disparity. The Committee will listen to academic experts, community leaders, the private sector, and most importantly, everyday Americans. Its Members, drawn from every corner of America, will recommend solutions to the Congress, the Administration, and society at large.
The Committee also intends to Show America to Itself. Our divisions and parochialism erode our belief and confidence in each other. We will document the hopes, concerns and aspirations of Americans throughout our land in the belief that just behind our differences lie unity and a commitment to each other.
Click here to read the Committee's findings and recommendations in our final report, "Bridging the Divide: Building an Economy that Works for All.”
You can also watch the Committee's 30-minute documentary film, titled "Grit & Grace: The Fight for the American Dream". The documentary shares powerful stories from across the U.S. and explores what it means to find economic security in America and the diverse paths people take to get there. It is the first ever film of its kind to be produced by the U.S. House of Representatives.