Growing the Middle Class

Growing the middle class is fundamental to strengthening the U.S. economy, and yet for decades, Americans’ ability to secure and maintain a place in the middle class has been increasingly out of reach. New laws—the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act—are spurring public and private investments to revitalize American industry, tackle climate change by boosting clean energy production, and create good jobs you can raise a family on. Pairing these investments with new efforts to crack down on corporate greed will also help lower the cost of living—from prescription drugs and energy, to transportation and everyday goods—and grow the middle class.

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Two employees work on the production line at Ford’s electric vehicle assembly plant in Dearborn, Michigan, September 2022. (Getty/Jeff Kowalsky/AFP)

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North Carolina Wolfspeed Materials Efficient Silicon Carbide Facility Article
President Joe Biden speaks outside of a building at a podium in front of a crowd including construction workers.

North Carolina Wolfspeed Materials Efficient Silicon Carbide Facility

Wolfspeed Silicon Carbide Materials is building a new facility in North Carolina to expand production and become the largest plant using silicon carbide to make semiconductor chips.

Fixing the Brent Spence Bridge Article
President Joe Biden is seen at a podium in front of a river with a bridge in the background.

Fixing the Brent Spence Bridge

This grant provides funding to repair the Brent Spence Bridge between Kentucky and Ohio and to build a new companion bridge.

Arizona Semiconductor Technician Quick Start Program Article
President Joe Biden is seen walking in front of tractors, with an American flag in the background.

Arizona Semiconductor Technician Quick Start Program

This program provides students at Maricopa Community Colleges with the opportunity to become trained as semiconductor technicians.

Cirba Solutions Battery Recycling Plant Article
Stacks of green used electric vehicle batteries sit on the floor of a factory.

Cirba Solutions Battery Recycling Plant

A $74 million investment from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will help Cirba Solutions open and operate a new battery recycling facility.

First Solar Thin Film Research and Development Center Article
A field of solar panels is seen in the middle of the desert.

First Solar Thin Film Research and Development Center

First Solar is spending $450 million to establish a research and development center focused on the production of thin film photovoltaic modules.

Arizona KOREPlex Battery Manufacturing Plant Article
An aerial view of the city of Buckeye, Arizona, with mountains in the background.

Arizona KOREPlex Battery Manufacturing Plant

KOREPlex is opening a lithium-ion battery manufacturing plant in Arizona that will be operated by electrical hardware and automatic software made in the United States.

Laz Paz County, Arizona, Mohave Road Reconstruction Article
A cyclist is seen alongside a truck on a long strand of road with mountains and clouds in the background.

Laz Paz County, Arizona, Mohave Road Reconstruction

This grant provides funding for a project to rebuild a critical road in Laz Paz County, Arizona, in the Colorado Indian River Tribe Reservation.

Michigan Technological University Battery Recycling Plant Pilot Project Article

Michigan Technological University Battery Recycling Plant Pilot Project

Michigan Technological University is receiving funding to develop a better battery recycling and metal refining technology in partnership with the only nickel mine in the United States.

How Inflation Reduction Act Electric Vehicle Incentives Are Driving a U.S. Manufacturing Renaissance Report
Photo shows several cars lined up on both sides of a divider with EV chargers that display orange signs reading

How Inflation Reduction Act Electric Vehicle Incentives Are Driving a U.S. Manufacturing Renaissance

More than a dozen new incentives enacted through the Inflation Reduction Act, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the CHIPS and Science Act have sent investments in EV manufacturing skyrocketing, resulting in more than 84,000 announced jobs in just the first year of implementation.

Leo Banks

Detroit Mobility and Innovation Corridor Article
Photo shows people walking across a street as the sun sets in the distance.

Detroit Mobility and Innovation Corridor

This grant provides funding for a project to modernize and update safety features on Michigan Avenue, one of the most important downtown transportation corridors in Detroit, Michigan.

Port of Green Bay, Wisconsin, Site Development Article
Photo shows an aerial view of the harbor with an expanse of green grass and trees, flanked by bodies of water on both sides

Port of Green Bay, Wisconsin, Site Development

The Port of Green Bay in Wisconsin has received funding to expand onto the site of a former power plant; the transformation includes the removal of coal piles and other items left from the power plant, and ships will be able to both load and unload cargo at the new port.

Pennsylvania Fern Hollow Bridge Repair Project Article
Photo shows Joe Biden and Ed Gainey facing the snowy construction site of the Fern Hollow Bridge.

Pennsylvania Fern Hollow Bridge Repair Project

This grant provided the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation with the necessary funds to repair the Fern Hollow Bridge after its unexpected collapse.

2023 CAP IDEAS Conference Past Event
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2023 CAP IDEAS Conference

Join the Center for American Progress as we celebrate 20 years of innovative policy solutions and look boldly forward to a progressive future.

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