Economy and Labor
A booming, equitable economy is critical to reduce poverty and improve the quality of life for working families. Congresswoman Garcia believes that every worker, regardless of their industry, has the right to earn a fair and living wage, join a union, collectively bargain, and safely work free from hazards or harassment. The Congresswoman has spoken out against Republican proposals to change SNAP eligibility requirements that would hurt working families, undermine the Occupation Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and National Labor Relations Board, and rollback federal civil rights and workers' rights protections.
Additionally, the Congresswoman supports expanding upon tax policies that benefit working families, such as permanently expanding the Child Tax Credit (CTC), which significantly helps a significant number of her constituents.
Congresswoman Garcia is also a strong advocate for working families, fighting to ensure that these families get a fair shot to get ahead, and that the federal government delivers results for them.
The Congresswoman has previously introduced legislation, which would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to require paid rest breaks for construction employees, ensuring that construction employees are guaranteed at least a 15-minute paid rest break for every four hours of work. Furthermore, employers would not be able to take retaliation against employees who request or take paid rest breaks or employees who file complaints with the Department of Labor. She has also pushed the Department of Labor and OSHA to promulgate a rule to better protect workers, particularly from the effects of extreme heat.
The Congresswoman has previously introduced legislation to direct the Secretary of Labor to ensure that the database relating to investigations under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 is publicly accessible in at least eight of the most commonly spoken languages in the United States.
The Congresswoman has also introduced the Protect Older Job Applicants (POJA) Act of 2023 in May 2023. This bill would prohibit employers from discriminating against job applicants purely based on their age.
The Congresswoman is a co-lead of the BE HEARD in the Workplace Act of 2024, which would take necessary steps in preventing workplace harassment and ensure that workers can seek accountability and justice.
The Congresswoman is an original cosponsor of the Protecting the Rights to Organize (PRO) Act of 2023, which would expand labor protections relating to employee’s rights to organize and collectively bargain in the workplace. This bill would further prohibit employers from taking adverse actions against an employee, including employees with management responsibilities, in response to that employee participating in protected activities.
The Congresswoman is a cosponsor of the Raise the Wage Act of 2023, which would gradually increase the federal minimum wage up to $17 an hour by 2028. The federal minimum wage has not been increased in over a decade, as the current federal minimum wage is set to $7.25 an hour.
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