Building an Economy for All

Comparing Trump’s Haphazard $2,500 Tax Increase to Biden’s Targeted Tariffs

President Joe Biden’s strategic approach to rebuilding the country’s industrial base with targeted tariffs and national investment stands in stark contrast to Trump’s arbitrary, imprecise tariff and tax cut-only approach.

Trump’s $50 Billion Tax Giveaway to the 100 Largest Corporations

Trump’s plan to slash the corporate tax rate would give the largest corporations a tax cut exceeding federal K-12 education spending.

Investing in infrastructure helps everybody

Cristian Cespedes, a union member from Las Vegas, shares how federal infrastructure investments and regulations help create jobs and drive up wages for both union and nonunion workers alike.

Opinion: Wisconsin’s workforce is experiencing a rebirth that will ensure a brighter future

Bridget Glover, a union worker from Wisconsin, shares how the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is creating sustainable career opportunities and opening doors for new workers in the trades.

Your view: Why 2024 is such a critical year for Pennsylvania workers

Buddy Maxwell, an organizer for the United Auto Workers union, writes about the importance of holding elected officials accountable for passing policies that support working people.

El arancel de Trump le costaría al hogar estadounidense típico $1,500 dólares cada año

Brendan Duke writes in La Opinión about how former President Donald Trump’s tariff would raise costs for everyday Americans.

The Middle Class Will Pay the Price for Trump’s Tax Cuts for the Wealthy, Including Repealing the Affordable Care Act

Former President Donald Trump has proposed tax cuts of up to $400,000 for the wealthiest households—that middle-class Americans would fund through higher living costs.

Michael Pollan and Melissa Robledo on ‘Food, Inc. 2’

Michael Pollan and Melissa Robledo join the show to discuss their documentary "Food, Inc. 2."

8 Ways the Biden Administration Is Improving the Lives of Service Workers

The Biden administration is raising pay, building power, and improving living standards for service workers across the economy—including fast-food cooks, call center workers, teachers, home care workers, and federal employees.

Trump’s Tariff Would Cost the Typical American Household Roughly $1,500 Each Year

Former President Donald Trump’s proposed tariff would raise prices for consumers and be far less effective at reinvigorating U.S. manufacturing than President Joe Biden’s approach.

It’s time for local policymakers to cement the Biden administration’s workforce gains

Karla Walter writes in Route Fifty about the need for policymakers to build on the Biden administration’s historic federal infrastructure investments, arguing that one of the best ways to cement these workforce gains is for local jurisdictions to strengthen their job quality standards.

Opinion: This federally-funded job training program gave me a fresh start

Phoenix resident Tarji Borders describes how a job training program funded by the CHIPS and Science Act made it possible for her to start building a career in Arizona’s burgeoning semiconductor industry.

Unions Continue To Build Wealth for All Americans

New data show unions increase wealth across education levels and close racial wealth gaps.

Putting People First: Prioritizing Workers in the Economy of the Future

A conversation with Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA).

Americans benefitting from Biden’s policies have no idea he’s involved

David Madland explains in why President Joe Biden needs to make clear to voters that his economic policies are creating good union jobs.

Communities That Lost Manufacturing Jobs Are Main Beneficiaries of Biden Administration’s New Industrial Policy

New analysis finds that private investments from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act are being announced in the communities that have been hit hardest by disinvestment in American manufacturing.

UAW’s David Green on Championing Labor

United Auto Workers (UAW) Region 2B Director David Green joins the show to talk about the Trump and Biden administrations' approaches to labor.

Biden’s Belvidere Win Stands in Stark Contrast to Trump’s Broken Promises in Lordstown

Differing outcomes at the auto plants in Lordstown, Ohio, and Belvidere, Illinois, underscore the stark contrast between the approaches of Biden and Trump to the automotive industry and its workers.

Construction of Tennessee EV Battery Facility Highlights Promises and Challenges of Biden Administration Policies

Tennessee’s BlueOval City electric vehicle battery facility shows how public investments can lead to good union jobs, but anecdotal evidence suggests that workers are not connecting these jobs to important economic policies.

Biden te está ayudando ahorrar dinero

Gaby Blanco and Rafael Medina write in La Opinión about the Biden administration's efforts to address junk fees.

Opinion | We own a solar energy business, but we wouldn’t be here without the IRA.

Small-business owner Maria Drews shares how tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act are helping clean energy businesses such as hers to grow, in addition to saving households money as they switch to solar energy.

President Biden Should Veto Anti-Worker Lawmakers’ Attack on Union Rights

The Biden administration is fighting to protect fast food and outsourced workers’ right to come together in unions—and shouldn’t let anti-worker lawmakers undermine these efforts.

Biden Administration’s New Investments in Electric Vehicle and Battery Production Could Benefit Black Americans

New electric vehicle and battery manufacturing jobs supported by the Inflation Reduction Act are located in areas with an above-average share of Black Americans.

Government on Workers’ Side

State and local policymakers can raise standards for workers and the public through prevailing wages, project labor agreements, and several other best practices.

What It Will Take To Increase Union Membership and Collective Bargaining Coverage

Continued worker action and major policy reforms are needed for union membership and collective bargaining to significantly increase.

8 Ways the Biden Administration Has Fought for Working People by Strengthening Unions

At a time when Americans are at their most pro-union, President Joe Biden and his administration are using all the levers of government to support working people and unions.

Rep. Jasmine Crockett on Fighting Extremism and Inspiring Change

Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) joins the show to discuss MAGA extremism, attacks on voting and abortion rights, and the progressive movement.

How Labor Unions Help Reduce the Pay Gap for Disabled Workers

Disabled workers are underpaid, but union membership helps ensure they earn the same wages as their nondisabled peers.

Centering the Threats of MAGA Republicans and Other Lessons Learned From Virginia Wins

Op-ed: How a federally-funded apprenticeship changed my life

Joshua Swindells, who dropped out of school as a teenager to care for his elderly parents, explains how a federally funded apprenticeship program allowed him to return to his education and gain valuable work experience in the information technology field. Joshua fears that proposals to cut federal workforce funding could harm young people such as him.

CAP Action’s Brendan Duke on Why We Need To Fund the Government

This week, CAP Action's Brendan Duke joins the show to discuss government funding.

Opinion: At 19, I was homeless. Now at 25, I’m a homeowner with a good-paying union job.

Michigan carpenter Raquell Rivera describes how her career as a union carpenter enabled her to transition out of homelessness and become a homeowner. Raquell explains how proposed cuts to federal workforce development funding could threaten both the preapprenticeship program she attended and similar programs.

Workers Want Unions: How States Have Strengthened Worker Power in 2023

States are taking action to strengthen workers’ ability to unionize and collectively bargain as well as raise job standards.

Point: Strong Prevailing Wage Standards Help Grow the Economy

In an InsideSources op-ed, Karla Walter argues why the Biden administration’s support of prevailing wage standards will help grow the middle class.

Latino Communities Could Disproportionately Benefit From New Semiconductor Investments

New chipmaking investments are located in areas with a greater share of Latinos.

How Bidenomics Is Helping Latinos in America

Laura Rodriguez, Frances Colón, and Emmy Ruiz discuss how the Biden administration’s economic policies are helping Latinos achieve more equitable outcomes at a recent Center for American Progress event.

Rep. Andy Levin on the Labor Movement and MAGA Republican Disarray

Former Rep. Andy Levin, a distinguished senior fellow at the Center for American Progress Action Fund, joins the show to discuss the historic removal of Rep. Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the House, the policy agenda of the far right, and the labor movement.

I’m a Union Worker in Pennsylvania. I Know Biden’s Got Our Back.

Sherice Workman, a union carpenter who worked on the historic 12-day repair of I-95 in Philadelphia, shares how federal infrastructure investments are creating a boom in union career opportunities within the skilled trades.

CAP Action’s Navin Nayak on the Looming Government Shutdown and MAGA Extremism

Navin Nayak, president and executive director of the Center for American Progress Action Fund, joins the show to discuss this week’s Republican presidential debates and the threat of a government shutdown.

Opinion: President Biden is working to make sure I never have to ration my insulin again

Yamelisa Jimenez Taveras, a Type 1 diabetic, shares how the high cost of insulin left her with little choice but to ration her insulin. She applauds the Biden administration’s efforts to cap the cost of insulin for Medicare recipients and continues to advocate for insulin copay caps for all diabetics.

CAP Action’s Mike Williams on the UAW Strike and the Labor Movement

Mike Williams, senior fellow at CAP Action, talks about the UAW strike and the current labor movement.

5 Reasons Automakers Must Provide Good Jobs and Lower Vehicle Emissions

In the face of demands for better jobs and stronger health protections, some automakers claim they can’t improve job quality and lower vehicle emissions—but they have the resources to support middle-class-led economic growth and clean up their vehicle fleets.

Momentum for Worker Standards Boards Continues To Grow

Since 2018, six states and three local governments have enacted laws that bring workers and employers together to recommend standards for sectors of the economy.

Sara Nelson on Why ‘Every Day Should Be Labor Day’

International President of the Association of Flight Attendants Sara Nelson joins "The Tent" to discuss what aviation workers are fighting for and the labor movement.

Maya Wiley on the 60th Anniversary of the March on Washington

Maya Wiley, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, joins the show.

OMB Director Shalanda Young on Making Government Work for Everyday Americans

Shalanda Young, director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, joins the show.

Happy Birthday to the Inflation Reduction Act and the CHIPS and Science Act

This week on "The Tent," Daniella and Colin celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act and the CHIPS and Science Act, and Daniella speaks with two Americans about how the laws have benefited them.

A Year of Impact: The Anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act

Americans celebrate how the Inflation Reduction Act has benefited their lives in the year since its passage.

Indigenous Owner of Solar Power Business Says Inflation Reduction Act Is ‘Game-Changer’

An Indigenous business owner explains how the Inflation Reduction Act will have a positive impact on his business while helping the planet.

Colorado Home Electrification Business Booms Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act

A small-business owner in Colorado discusses how increased demand, thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, has boosted his business.

Southwest Detroit Entrepreneur Hopes for Cleaner Air with the Inflation Reduction Act

A clean air entrepreneur shares how provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act will benefit his community.

Climate Organizer Shares How Inflation Reduction Act Addresses Environmental Justice

A climate organizer in the Southwest discusses how low-income and environmental justice communities benefit from the Inflation Reduction Act.

Inflation Reduction Act Promotes Energy Security and Cleaner Futures for Young Americans

A young American shares her hope for a cleaner future after the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act.

Arizona Family Benefits from Inflation Reduction Act’s Solar Installation Tax Credit

An Arizona homeowner explains how the Inflation Reduction Act helped her family access solar power.

Michigan Carpenter Saves on Home Repairs Through Inflation Reduction Act Tax Credits

A Michigan homeowner details how the Inflation Reduction Act is helping her modernize her 100-year-old home.

Older Michigander Saves $400 on Health Care Costs

An older American on Medicare explains how the Inflation Reduction Act helped her access no-cost vaccines.

Electric Vehicle Battery Plant Revives Michigan Small Businesses

A Michigan business owner describes how investments in electric vehicle battery manufacturing will help local small businesses.

Wisconsin Clean Energy Small Business Creates Union Jobs Thanks to Inflation Reduction Act

A Wisconsin small-business owner hopes the Inflation Reduction Act will grow his clean energy business and enable him to hire more union workers.

North Carolina Student Excited for Job Opportunities Manufacturing Electric Vehicles

An automotive technician hopes for job opportunities in North Carolina’s burgeoning electric vehicle manufacturing industry.

Inflation Reduction Act Creates More Employment Opportunities for Michigan Union Carpenter

A union carpenter in Michigan is excited for the future of the trades with the Inflation Reduction Act.

Michigan Electrician Sees Growth of Green Energy Jobs in Her Trade

An apprentice electrician explains how funding from the Inflation Reduction Act creates jobs by incentivizing a switch to green energy.

Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, Retired Union Electrician Is Excited for the Next Generation of Unions

A retired union electrician discusses how the Inflation Reduction Act expands apprenticeship opportunities for women.

Inflation Reduction Act Expands Opportunities for Clean Energy Workforce

A Georgia professor explains how the Inflation Reduction Act is expanding employment opportunities for his students.

What You Need To Know About Gen Z’s Support for Unions

Gen Zers are eager to organize and are winning union gains for themselves at workplaces nationwide.

Wisconsin Workers Have ‘the Opportunity to Build Middle-Class, Unionized Careers’

Industrial painting instructor and union field organizer Johntay Young has seen how the influx of infrastructure funding under the Biden administration has translated into more work and more jobs for union painters. The high demand for workers creates more opportunities for stable, high-paying careers in the union.

The Tent: Taifa Smith Butler on Black Women’s Equal Pay Day

Demos President Taifa Smith Butler joins Colin to discuss Black Women’s Equal Pay Day, the Biden administration's economic agenda, and extremist attacks on education.

How Project Labor Agreements and Community Workforce Agreements Are Good for the Biden Administration’s Investment Agenda

Project labor agreements and community workforce agreements are time-tested tools that can support good value and good jobs on projects funded by the new federal economic investments.

Community colleges partner with semiconductor industry

Chancellor of Maricopa Community College District Steven Gonzales writes about the impact the CHIPS and Science Act has had on Arizona students and workforce development. The law spurred increased investments in semiconductor manufacturing, creating thousands of good-paying jobs and investing in training programs to fulfill the workforce needs.

Jobs Are Good. Good Jobs Are Better.

David Madland writes about Biden’s economic investments and delivering high-quality jobs.

Biden’s Investments Create Opportunity for Arizona Carpenters

The business representative of the Southwest Mountain States Carpenters Union Local 1912, Bill Ruiz, describes how investments from the Biden administration are benefiting carpenters. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Inflation Reduction Act, and CHIPS and Science Act are ushering in a historic construction boom for carpentry work.

Op-Ed: Rural Homes Like Mine Could Soon Get High-Speed Internet Thanks to Biden Administration

Rural North Carolina resident Sally Weldon shares how investments from the Biden administration to expand broadband will bring her home 21st-century infrastructure.

Op-Ed: I’m Optimistic About the Government’s Agenda for the First Time in Decades

Southwest Detroit resident and activist Raquel Garcia describes how environmental concerns in her community have been ignored by the government. But the Biden administration’s commitment to addressing environmental justice gives her hope that progress is finally happening.

How Unions Are Crucial for Building Working-Class Economic Power

Union membership allows workers without four-year college degrees to earn more and achieve financial security for their families and children.

Op-Ed: Changing Hearts and Minds in Coal Country

Pennsylvania resident Kelly Forest explains how transitioning to clean energy can save on costs for everyday Americans. Americans now have even more opportunities to cut their energy bills by taking advantage of tax incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act.

4 Job Quality Questions All Applicants for New Federal Funds Should Answer

States, cities, and private sector applicants can improve their chances of winning new federal support through the Inflation Reduction Act, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and CHIPS and Science Act by demonstrating that their proposals will create good jobs for working people from all walks of life.

Minnesota is transforming its nursing home industry with a model that empowers workers

David Madland explains how the Minnesota Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board Act can improve the nursing home industry by setting minimum workplace standards for the sector.

Public and Private Investments Are Poised To Transform Michigan

The historic home of the automotive industry, Michigan, stands to benefit from major infrastructure improvements and new plants for manufacturing electric vehicle batteries, especially if it incorporates public input and builds worker power to grow the middle class.

Opinion: Hollywood writers’ strike is about more than money. It’s also about having power over AI.

David Madland explains why workers need strong tools to bargain with employers over disruptive technology.

Voters’ Attitudes on the Economy, February and May 2023

A summary of national surveys explores public attitudes related to the economy.

Op-Ed: Rail Becomes Reality With Biden’s Infrastructure Investments

Vice chair of the Raleigh, North Carolina, transit authority, Nathan Spencer, writes about the critical need to expand public transportation to meet the needs of the rapidly growing population. Thankfully, the Biden administration’s infrastructure law dedicated billions to creating a passenger rail that will better connect the region to other major cities.

Intel putting the beat back in Ohio’s heart, restoring hope to young job seekers

Recent electrical engineering graduate, Maddix Curtis, describes how the Biden administration is bringing manufacturing jobs back to Ohio. With investments in infrastructure and clean energy, recent graduates are seeing more opportunities for high-paying jobs.

Arlene Gibbs on the Writers Guild of America Strike and What It Means for American Workers

Daniella’s sister, screenwriter and decorator Arlene Gibbs, joins the podcast to discuss the Writers Guild of America strike, trends in screenwriters’ pay and working conditions, and what other industries can learn from these negotiations.

Business adding over 600 new jobs with help from Biden’s investments

Arizona business owner Paul Sarzoza describes how recent federal investments in semiconductor manufacturing are helping expand opportunities in related industries such as his. Thanks to such investments, Saroza anticipates creating up to 800 jobs over the next decade to support the new semiconductor fabrication plants.

Former White House Adviser Bobby Kogan on the MAGA Default Crisis

Bobby Kogan joins the podcast to discuss why we need to raise the debt limit; how Speaker McCarthy’s “Default on America” plan would hurt the middle class; and how Bush and Trump-era tax cuts contributed to the national debt.

OP-ED: House GOP’s plans to gut green energy tax credits impact businesses like mine

Solar energy business owner Robert Blake writes about how solar investments from the Inflation Reduction Act will help grow his business in St. Paul, Minnesota. But Blake worries that threats from some congressional Republicans to repeal the clean energy provisions threaten the future of his business.

Op-Ed: The Infrastructure Law Proves Government Still Works

Tyrrell County Commissioner Nathan “Tommy” Everett describes how an aging bridge threatens the economic growth and safety of the community. After a historic investment from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the bridge will soon be replaced, ensuring the community remains safe and connected.

House Vote on ‘Default on America’ Act a Major Political Liability for Republicans

House Republicans’ “Default on America” Act would inflict devastating harm on America’s middle class.

Unions Build Wealth for the American Working Class

Union membership not only increases wealth for working-class families but also narrows racial wealth gaps and offers a path to the middle class.

Op-Ed: Boosting Business in Kalamazoo Starts With Fixing Our Roads

Local business owner Kim Guess writes about how infrastructure in downtown Kalamazoo, Michigan, impedes economic activity and decreases safety. Guess describes how an infrastructure project to slow the roads will help local businesses and promote community.

Local Opinion: Solar power tax credits help bring equity to greener technology

Alisha Vasquez describes how economic barriers make it harder for lower-to-middle-income Americans to take advantage of solar tax credits. But since the Inflation Reduction Act increased solar installation tax credits and created programs to increase equity in clean energy, families such as Vasquez’s were able to install solar.

Opinion: Federal investments like Brent Spence Bridge will spur local workforce

Tri-State Building and Construction Trades Council business manager John Holbrook says it’s never been a more promising time for the field than today. Investments in updating critical infrastructure such as the Brent Spence Bridge brings thousands of good-paying jobs to a region that has been ignored for decades.

Beware Fla. Gov. Ron DeSantis’ anti-worker agenda

In a new op-ed, David Madland breaks down why Gov. DeSantis’ anti-worker agenda shouldn’t go unnoticed.

By Addressing Abandoned Wells, Biden’s Infrastructure Law Is Making Communities Safer, Cutting Pollution, and Advancing Environmental Justice

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is plugging orphaned oil and gas wells—boosting job creation, reducing pollution, and improving public health.

Neil King Jr. on His Book, American Ramble

Daniella talks with author and reporter Neil King Jr. on his new book, American Ramble, and his walk from Washington, D.C., to New York City.

What Policymakers Need To Know About Today’s Working Class

The working class works primarily in service-sector jobs and is more racially and ethnically diverse than ever.

The Inflation Reduction Act is opening doors for students

Georgia Tech doctoral student Juanita Hidalgo explains how a lack of domestic solar manufacturing contributes to fewer opportunities for students like her. But with new solar manufacturing projects spurred by the Inflation Reduction Act, Hidalgo is hopeful for expanded career opportunities in renewable energy.