Washington, D.C – Speaker Paul Ryan has appointed Minnesota Congressman Erik Paulsen to be the chairman of the Joint Economic Committee
The JEC is one of the few joint committees in Congress with both Senate and House members and serves as a counterpart to the President’s Council of Economic Advisers (CEA), which were both created in the passage of the Employment Act of 1946. The JEC focuses on reviewing economic conditions and advising Congress on how to grow the U.S. economy through examining the tax code, regulatory reform, and labor force issues, among other areas.
“We need more jobs, better salaries, and a stronger Minnesota and U.S. economy, and as the chairman of the Joint Economic Committee, I will make these my priorities,” said Congressman Paulsen. “The JEC has a long history of bringing together the best ideas from both parties and both chambers to advise Congress on how to grow our economy and promote trade, innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic opportunity for all Americans, and I look forward to leading these discussions in my new role.”
The committee has held hearings on the subjects of unemployment, startups and entrepreneurship, economic opportunity and addressing the skills gap, and the opioid crisis. Last fall, Congressman Paulsen led a hearing titled “The Dynamic Gains From Free Digital Trade.” The JEC also helped direct Republican efforts on the recent once-in-a-generation tax reform package signed into law last month. Past chairs of the committee from Minnesota include former U.S. Senator Hubert Humphrey and U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar.
