Poor living under a bridge in America.
On January 8, 2014 Rep. Jackson Lee of Texas asked for and was granted permission to address the United States House of Representatives for a few minutes regarding the plight of the poor in our nation, some 50 years after President Johnson declared a war on poverty in America. What she said was shocking.
“I thank my good friend, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, who will be holding a commemoration in recognition not only of Lyndon Baines Johnson, the President who declared war on poverty, but also the many workers and many Presidents since who, in many aspects, helped to build on the Nation’s safety net.”
“Today, however, we find ourselves in a dilemma, not recognizing and accepting success where it is. Poverty has fallen significantly over the last half century. Since the mid-1960s the average incomes among the poorest fifth of Americans have risen significantly. Infant mortality has dropped sharply, and severe child malnutrition has largely disappeared, but it still exists.In parts of my 18th Congressional District in Texas, we have very high mortality rates. It means that our job is not over. Nearly 50 million Americans, however, were poor in 2012, including 13 million children; 60 million people lived below half of the poverty line; and large racial disparities in the African American community were clear and documented. African Americans have a lower college degree graduate level than White Americans”, she said.
“So the safety net has to be something for all of us. I borrowed this from my good friend from California, just to show you a line of Americans possibly looking for work. We cannot point out and we cannot know at this point which one of these are near the edge of poverty or living in poverty simply because they cannot find work. So it is important to note that there are elements that many discard: the earned income tax credit; supplemental nutrition program; the huge job training and educational investment that President Johnson made on the war on poverty; Medicaid and Medicare, huge safety nets, not handouts but safety nets”, said Rep. Jackson Lee (source: Congressional Record http://thomas.loc.gov).
Rep. Jackson Lee is the leading advocate for the poor and impoverished in the United States Congress. She currently serves on two Committee in the House, Homeland Security and the Judiciary.
In addition Congresswoman Jackson Lee is a member of over 45 Congressional Member organizations, including:
Bicameral Congressional Caucus on Parkinson’s Disease
Bipartisan Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer’s Disease
Bipartisan Task Force on Nonproliferation
Congressaional United Services Organization (USO) Caucus
Congressional Afghan Caucus, Co-Chair
Congressional African Partnership for Economic Growth Caucus
Congressional Algerian Caucus, Co-Chair
Congressional Arts Caucus
Congressional Asthma and Allergy Caucus
Congressional Bike Caucus
Congressional Black Caucus
Congressional Black Caucus, Energy and Environment Task Force, Co-Chair
Congressional Black Caucus, Judicial and Civil Rights Task Force, Co-Chair
Congressional Brain Injury Task Force
Congressional Caucus for Freedom of the Press
Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues
Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues, Task Force on Women of Color, Co-Chair
Congressional Caucus on Brazil
Congressional Caucus on Drug Policy
Congressional Caucus on Ethiopia and Ethiopian-Americans
Congressional Caucus on Fetal Alchohol Spectrum Disorders
Congressional Caucus on Global Road Saftey
Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans
Congressional Caucus on Missing, Exploited and Runaway Children
Congressional Caucus on Nigeria
Congressional Caucus on the Judicial Branch
Congressional Caucus on Turkey
Congressional Caucus to Fight and Control Methamphetamine
Congressional Children’s Caucus, Co-Chair
Congressional China Caucus
Congressional Coastal Caucus
Congressional Correctional Officers Caucus
Congressional Diabetes Caucus
Congressional Fire Services Caucus
Congressional Fraternal Caucus
Congressional French Caucus
Congressional Friends of Canada
Congressional Glaucoma Caucus
Congressional Heart and Stroke Coalition
Congressional High Technology Caucus
Congressional International Anti-Piracy Caucus
Congressional Internet Caucus
Congressional Iraqi Women’s Caucus
Congressional JOBS NOW! Caucus
Congressional Mental Health Caucus
Congressional Native American Caucus
Congressional Pakistan Caucus, Co-Chair
Congressional Port Security Caucus
Congressional Portuguese Caucus
Congressional Pregressive Caucus, Vice Chair Liaison to the Black Caucus
Congressional Pro-Sports Caucus
Congressional Qatari-American Caucus
Congressional Refugee Caucus
Congressional Singapore Caucus
Congressional Small Business Caucus
Congressional Soccer Caucus
Congressional Texas Caucus on Shale Oil & Gas
Congressional Taiwan Caucus
Congressional Task Force on Tobacco and Health
Congressional Victims’ Rights Caucus
Congressional Vision Caucus
Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus
Congressional Wireless Caucus
Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, Region 6 Representative
Diversity and Innovation Cauvus
Friends of Finland Caucus
Friends of Job Corp Congressional Caucus
Friends of Norway Caucus
Green Schools Caucus
Home Health Caucus
Home Hunger Caucus
House Afterschool Caucus
House Democratic Caucus, Task Force on Competitiveness
House Manufacturing Caucus
House Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus
Iran Human Rights and Democracy Caucus
Kenya Caucus
Latino-Jewish Congress
Law Enforcement Caucus
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Equality Caucus
Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases Caucus
National Guard and Reserve Components Caucus
NextGen 9-1-1 Caucus
Out of Afghanistan Caucus
Out of Iraq Caucus
Out of Poverty Caucus
The Congressional Award Foundation
U.S.-China Working Group
Source: http://jacksonlee.house.gov/legislation/committees-and-caucuses