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Groundwork’s Bilal Baydoun on Senate Banking Hearing: “We should be thankful for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau”

“It’s a shame that some lawmakers are so scornful of an agency that is saving consumers billions of dollars per year by taking on predatory late fees. We should be thanking the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for standing up for consumers when corporate traps stretch family budgets.” Groundwork's Director of Policy and Research Bilal Baydoun reacts to today’s Senate Banking Committee hearing on junk fees in the credit card industry and the housing market.

May 9, 2024 Groundwork Collaborative

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Groundwork’s Lindsay Owens on CBO’s TCJA Extension Report: “This tax law should expire”

“Extending Trump’s tax law and effectively subsidizing corporate profiteering and billionaire wealth is a nonstarter. This tax law, on top of decades of failed trickle-down cuts, has come at the expense of workers and families. Groundwork Collaborative’s Executive Director Lindsay Owens reacts in response to today’s report from the Congressional Budget Office that shows extending the Trump tax cuts would add $4.6 trillion to the deficit.

May 8, 2024 Groundwork Collaborative

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Extending Trump Tax Cuts Would Add $4.6 Trillion to Deficit: CBO

Groundwork Collaborative executive director Lindsay Owens also responded critically to the CBO report, saying Wednesday that "extending Trump's tax law and effectively subsidizing corporate profiteering and billionaire wealth is a nonstarter."

May 8, 2024 Common Dreams

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Biden looks to boost worker, consumer power as election looms

“All of these rules really have at their core the idea that people deserve a fair and functioning economy that works for them,” said Rakeen Mabud, chief economist and managing director of policy and research at the Groundwork Collaborative, a left-leaning think tank and advocacy group.

May 7, 2024 The Hill

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Congress Urged to Tax Big Oil for Price Fixing and ‘Issue Every American a Refund’

"Americans have been working harder and harder to cover rising energy costs, with the understanding that supply chain snags and geopolitical forces were keeping prices high," Owens said. "Now the Federal Trade Commission has uncovered the real source behind the price at the pump: collusion."

May 7, 2024 Common Dreams

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Groundwork’s Lindsay Owens on FTC’s Findings on Pioneer

“Americans have been working harder and harder to cover rising energy costs, with the understanding that supply chain snags and geopolitical forces were keeping prices high. Now the Federal Trade Commission has uncovered the real source behind the price at the pump: collusion.” Groundwork Collaborative’s Executive Director Lindsay Owens reacted.

May 7, 2024 Groundwork Collaborative

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New era of inequality: Billionaires pay less in taxes than the working class

These findings raise concerns about the societal impact of growing wealth inequality. Zucman argues that the ultra-rich’s ability to live off their wealth while contributing less in taxes undermines the principles of fairness and democracy. Rakeen Mabud, chief economist at the Groundwork Collaborative, echoes this sentiment, calling the trend “absurd” and urging lawmakers to raise taxes on the wealthy and large corporations.

May 6, 2024 Nation of Change

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Republicans Unable To Determine If Price Gouging Is Good Or Bad, Just Kidding They Think It’s Wonderful!

Also testifying on the side of the Democrats was Mr. Bilal Baydoun, director of policy and research at the Groundwork Collaborative. He also brought some actual evidence to the party: “Rideshare apps like Uber reportedly charge users higher prices if their phone battery is lower. Insurance companies fly drones above our property in search of signs of clutter, and car companies install software that reports our driving behavior to insurance companies, who use the data to hike our rates.”

May 3, 2024 Wonkette

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‘Absurd!’: US Billionaires Pay Lower Tax Rate Than Working Class for First Time

"The ultra-wealthy are paying less in taxes than the bottom half of income earners. That's absurd!" Rakeen Mabud, chief economist at the Groundwork Collaborative, wrote in response to Zucman's analysis. "We've got to raise taxes on the wealthy and large corporations. Enough with the wealth hoarding. It's past time for us to take back what's ours."

May 3, 2024 Common Dreams

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Groundwork’s Bilal Baydoun Reacts to April Jobs Report: “Workers who drive our economy deserve a bigger piece of the pie”

Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released the April jobs report which shows that our economy added 175,000 jobs last month and unemployment ticked up to 3.9%.

May 3, 2024 Groundwork Collaborative