US House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries Appoints Rep. Don Beyer Senior House Democrat On Joint Economic Committee

From Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA08)’s office:

Leader Jeffries Appoints Beyer Senior House Democrat On Joint Economic Committee

February 14, 2023 (Washington, D.C.) – Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) today thanked House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries for his appointment to serve as Senior House Democrat on Congress’ Joint Economic Committee (JEC). Jeffries announced the move late last week.

Beyer said:

“In the past three years the U.S. economy saw unprecedented chaos, experiencing one of the swiftest recessions in history and then, under President Biden’s leadership, the strongest job gains on record. Throughout this economic turmoil the Joint Economic Committee worked to identify and advocate for policies which helped fuel the American recovery, which has been stronger and more sustained than many thought possible.

“We still have many problems to grapple with, including inflation, global economic challenges stemming from wars and supply chain issues, the climate crisis, and economic inequality. I look forward to tackling these and many other major issues with my colleagues on the Joint Economic Committee during the 118^th Congress under the leadership of Chairman-Designate Heinrich, and I thank Leader Jeffries for his trust in me to continue serving in this important position of economic leadership in Congress.”

Jeffries said:

“I am proud to appoint Reps. Don Beyer, David Trone, Gwen Moore and Katie Porter to the Joint Economic Committee for the 118th Congress. I am also honored that Rep. Beyer will continue his leadership on the JEC as the Senior House Democrat.

“For 77 years, the Joint Economic Committee has served as the bipartisan, bicameral brain trust of the Congress for issues relating to fiscal policy and economic growth. Under the leadership of Rep. Beyer, the guidance of the JEC has been instrumental throughout the last Congress as we’ve continued our mission of securing lower costs and better-paying jobs for families across the land. I look forward to working with this exceptional group of Members to build a stronger economy and ensure that we continue to create opportunity in every zip code.”

Leadership of the Joint Economic Committee rotates each session of Congress between the House and the Senate; the Chairman-Designate for the 118^th Congress is Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM). Members of the Committee are appointed for each chamber by party leaders. In addition to Rep. Beyer’s appointment as top House Democrat on the panel, Leader Jeffries tapped Reps. David Trone (D-MD), Gwen Moore (D-WI), and Katie Porter (D-CA) to serve on JEC for this session.

Beyer served as top Democrat on the Joint Economic Committee from January, 2020 to the end of the 116^th Congress, as Vice Chair, and then as Chair for the entire 117^th Congress (2021-22).

As Vice Chair during the Covid pandemic he hosted weekly calls and briefings for Members of Congress to hear directly from leading, prize-winning economists about policies to fight the recession. He was an early advocate for direct payments, expanded federal unemployment benefits, and support for state and local governments, and worked to build support within Congress for large, bipartisan legislative packages to support the economic recovery.

While Beyer chaired the panel during the historically productive 117^th Congress, the Joint Economic Committee helped inform Congress about continued pandemic recovery efforts, including the American Rescue Plan, the expanded Child Tax Credit, the bipartisan infrastructure law, the CHIPS and Science Act, and several key pieces of the Inflation Reduction Act. JEC was a leading voice on the importance of strengthening supply chains, and remains an educational resource for Members and staff on inflation. Beyer also chaired hearings examining racial and gender economic disparities, and chaired one of Congress’ first hearings on cryptocurrencies and digital assets.

About the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee

The U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee is Congress’s bicameral economic think tank. It was created when Congress passed the Employment Act of 1946. Under this Act, Congress established two advisory panels: the President’s Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) and the JEC. Their primary tasks are to review economic conditions and to recommend improvements in economic policy.