Washington, DC -
Today, Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) and Sen. Tom Harkin hosted a roundtable discussion in Cedar Rapids focusing on rebuilding Iowa's middle class.
The event brought together a cross-section of Iowans to discuss a variety of ideas to encourage growth of the middle class. The diverse group of Iowans included college students nearing graduation, unemployed Iowans looking for work, and Iowans looking for ways to secure their retirement. The conversation focused around the need for increased workforce training for those people who are transitioning into new fields and the need to sustain reliable, middle-class jobs.
"The middle class is shrinking and this is a problem we cannot ignore," said Rep. Braley. "Iowa's economy has lost 600 manufacturers and over 43,000 manufacturing jobs in the last decade. We cannot afford to continue to lose these types of reliable, good-paying jobs and Iowan's deserve the opportunity to work in an economy that provides these types of jobs."
"I am encouraged to take what I heard from Iowan's today back to Washington and work with my colleagues to create jobs and strengthen the economy for working class families."
Congressman Braley is chairman of the Populist Caucus, which is working to highlight middle class values and reinvest in American manufacturing.
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