Select Committee on Economic Disparity & Fairness in Growth

Expanding Access to the American Dream

About the Committee

America is more unequal today than any other time in modern history. Great wealth disparities slow our economy, poison our politics, and offend our moral sensibilities. In 2021, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi established the Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth to shine a light on the nature of this problem, and to propose practical, analytically sound solutions to ensure everyone who works hard and plays by the rules has a shot at securing a comfortable life for their family.

Visits Across America

The Select Committee conducted a series of field visits across the country in an effort to meet Americans where they are and hear their perspective on the economic challenges they are facing in their communities.

01 / 09
1

Library of Congress in Washington, DC

The Select Committee learned about New Deal projects including the Works Progress Administration in a visit to the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress.

2

Lorain, Ohio

The Select Committee held a hearing and roundtable in Lorain to hear directly from local workers and civic leaders about the economic health of communities in the post-industrial midwest, and to examine the impact of federal investments in helping uplift those communities that may have been left behind.

3

San Francisco, California

The Select Committee held a series of meetings and roundtables to examine the impact of technological innovation and artificial intelliegence on economic disparity and to hear from local community members and thought leaders on innovative solutions to addressing income and wealth inequality.

4

Kenosha, Wisconsin

The Select Committee met with local community and business leaders and held a hearing focused on the diverse pathways and training programs needed to support and uplift the workforce of tomorrow.

5

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

On a bus tour of the city, Members heard from local experts about the legacies of redlining and housing discrimination in Milwaukee. They then toured a new affordable housing development and held a hearing on the programs and policies helping to make housing more accessible and affordable for residents.

6

Los Angeles, California

Select Committee Chair Jim Himes was invited to the Milken Institute Global Conference to join a panel on public policy and private sector solutions that promote inclusive economic growth.

7

Rio Grande Valley, Texas

The Select Committee toured local low-income communities known as "colonias" and heard directly from local leaders, community members, and experts on infrastructure challenges in South Texas. While there, they held a hearing to discuss how investing in building resilient infrastructure expands accessibility, helps communities withstand seasonal flooding, and supports broader economic growth across the entire community.

8

Seattle, Washington

The Select Committee heard from local workers, business leaders, and elected officials about the innovative labor market reforms that have helped their city thrive. The visit concluded with a hearing focused on how new labor market laws and worker protections in Washington State and Seattle have helped workers, businesses, and the local economy.

9

Boston, Massachusetts

Select Committee members visited Boston and Dorchester to meet with a panel of academics and to learn more about apprenticeship and workforce training programs at the headquarters of the North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters.

The Voices of America

All-American Stories from Across the Country

All too often, policy debates lack a visceral sense of the struggles and hopes of our nation’s people. At the start of each hearing, Committee Members were presented a series of stories from across America about economic hardship and triumph to provide critical context to the issues they’re discussing. Each unique story illustrates the distinct barriers Americans face in their shared pursuit for prosperity. Provided below is the full collection of over forty recorded stories presented to the Committee over its tenure.

Check out the map below and scroll down below to watch them share their stories

Listen to their Stories

01 / 46
1

Charnele Evans

Electrician at Current Electric, WRTP | BIG STEP Tradeswoman

2

Juan Gonzalez

Carpenter, C.D. Smith Construction

3

Rae Johnson

Writer at Esri, Homeowner Supported by Acts Housing

4

Fatima Wakefield

Director of Marketing and Advancement, Lumin School

5

Sharon Vogel

Executive Director of the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation Housing Authority

6

Seth Grove

State Representative (R), Pennsylvania District 196

7

Gracie Heldman

Baked Goods Line Packer, Hearthside Foods

8

Sergio Contreras and Rhonda Diaz

CEO of Atlas Hall & Rodriguez LLP, Texas Broadband Development Office Board of Advisors

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley student, VIDA Program Mentee

9

Brent Smith

Attorney of Kinney County, Texas

10

Betsy Ward

Owner of A&B Coffee Shop

11

Victor Hwang

Founder and CEO of Right to Start offering a Smart Take on our hearing on Small Businesses and Entrepreneurship

12

Angela Hill

Founder of Journey Changers Scholarship Solutions

13

Elizabeth Brianne Penn

Hope Inspired Ministries Program Participant

14

Molly Moon Neitzel

Founder and CEO of Molly Moon's Homemade Ice Cream

15

John McDermott

Co-owner of CarTender Auto Repair

16

Emily Wilder

Registered Nurse in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at Maine Medical Center, Member of National Nurses United

17

Hillary Laskonis

Barista and Union Organizer at Colectivo Coffee, Member of IBEW Local 494

18

Carlos Ruiz

Founder and Owner, HT Metals

19

Janna Rodriguez

President and CEO, Innovative Daycare Corp. Early Education Center

20

Pamela Cager and Montinique Cager

Owner and Head Chef, FAO Cafe, Cakes & Catering

Chief Financial Officer, FAO Cafe, Cakes & Catering

21

Gregg Bohler

Managing Principal of Ruthnap Project Management Services

22

Tracy Ferrell

Single Parent, Former Client of the Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia

23

Leah Hall

Affordable Housing Development Director, 3 Rivers Community Action

24

Eric Drummond

Vice President of Charles Perry Partners, Former President of the Builders Association of North Central Florida

25

Liz Skidmore

Business Representative and Organizer, North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters offering a Smart Take on our hearing on Infrastructure

26

Ann McNeill

Owner of MCO Construction, Founder of the National Association of Black Women in Construction offering a Smart Take on our hearing on Infrastructure

27

Michelle Schroeder

Merchants Bank Assistant Vice President, Licensed Crop Insurance Agent

28

David Garza

Commissioner, Precinct 3 of Cameron County, Texas

29

Ray Allen

Former Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development

30

Sgt. Johnnie Cheatom

Army Sergeant First Class (Retired, 25 years), Served in Germany, Korea, and Vietnam

Awarded the Bronze Star and a Purple Heart

31

M.G. Linda Singh

Major General, National Guard (Retired), First woman & first African-American Adjutant General of the Maryland National Guard

32

Caregivers from Coast to Coast

Featuring Lucy Vergara, Jessica Soba Davila, Tamika Grace, Shaunte Brown, and Eduardo Velasquez

33

Claudia Morrell

Family and Community Caregiver, CEO of STEM Equity Initiative

34

Brittany Williams

In-Home Elder and Disability Care Provider, SEIU 775 Member

35

Mark E. Jaffe

CEO, Children's Learning Centers of Fairfield County

36

Lesley Stroot

High School Teacher of 21 Years

37

Elio Morillo

Engineering Operations Mechanisms Lead for NASA's Mars 2020 Rover

38

Mark Gauthier

President of Donald Engineering

39

Jim Slone

Chairman of Lorain County's United Auto Workers CAP Council

40

Sheryl Ponds

Founder and CEO of Dai Technology Corporation

41

Steve Staub

President of Staub Manufacturing Solutions

42

Wayne Blanchard

Director, United Auto Workers Region 2B

43

Marjorie Chambers

Tool and Die Maker at General Motors, Vice President UAW Local 1005

44

Van D. Turner, Jr.

Commissioner on the Shelby County Board of Commissioners

45

Kendra Williams

AT&T Employee, Communications Workers of America Member

46

Taft Mangas

Laborers' International Union of North America Member

Acknowledgments

The Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth is comprised of the following members:

  • Chairman Jim Himes (D-CT)
  • Ranking Member Bryan Steil (R-WI)
  • Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH)
  • Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH)
  • Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI)
  • Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-TX)
  • Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX)
  • Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-OK)
  • Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN)
  • Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL)
  • Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY)
  • Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL)
  • Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA)
  • Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-CA)

The Select Committee would like to thank the panelists and storytellers from across the country who lent their voices to our study of economic disparity. The Committee would also like to thank John Hessler, Specialist in Computational Geography and Geographic Information Science at the Library of Congress, and Julia Bayer, Solution Engineer at Esri, for their help in building this web application.