Spotlight Webcast with Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA)
Jim McDermott represents the 7th Districtof Washington state in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was elected in1988 and currently serves as the chairman of the Income Security and Family Support Subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee.
Representative Jim McDermott sat down with Spotlight to discuss why the Administration۪s recent announcement to develop a supplemental poverty measure is a “major stepforward” in the fight against poverty. Rep. McDermott also reflects on Congressional efforts to extend unemployment benefits in the new jobs bill andthe impact of unemployment programs on a family۪s financial and emotionalwell-being.
Rep. McDermott also argues that to ensure economic opportunity for low-income Americans, education and workforce training must play a more prominent role in the nation۪s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. He also explains his reasons for remaining optimistic aboutthe country۪s economic future more than a year after the American Recovery andReinvestment Act was implemented.