Congresswoman Maloney (at LES National Night Out)

Rep. Carolyn Maloney, whose district includes the LES, has been named the Vice Chair of the Joint Economic Committee by House Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi. The appointment makes Maloney the top-ranking Member of the House on the committee, now that the Democrats are the majority party.

The appointment adds one more position of power in the House to women representing the Lower East Side, the other being Congresswoman Nydia Velasquez who will chair the Small Business Committee. Way to go, ladies!

Maloney's office says the congresswoman will collaborate closely with Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY), who will Chair the JEC in the new Congress. In her time on the committee, Maloney has consistently advocated for economic policies that benefit working Americans and the middle class, and she plans to continue to focus on those issues in her new position.

"I am extremely grateful that Speaker-elect Pelosi will allow me to continue my work on JEC, which I consider to be a top priority," said Maloney. "I look forward to working closely with my Senator and good friend Chuck Schumer - he is a tremendous leader who works hard on behalf of the American people.

"It has become evident over the past few years that working Americans have been left behind in this economy, and they need a strong voice representing them. I plan to work closely with the others on the committee to examine why our economic policies haven't been working and how we can ensure that all Americans share in the prosperity."

In announcing Maloney's appointment, Speaker-elect Pelosisaid, "Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney has been an aggressive voice in ensuring that strong U.S. economic growth will benefit all American families, not just the wealthy few." Pelosi added, "America's middle-class families will continue to benefit from her leadership and expertise in working to bring about a New Direction that restores the American dream and provides economic security and opportunity for all."

Maloney is a long-time member of the JEC, and during the 109th Congress, she served as the senior House Democrat. Together with JEC's current ranking member, Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), Maloney helped lead numerous JEC hearings and produce reports on the state of the economy, including an annual economic report and recent reports on debt to foreign countries and state of the middle class.