Issues: Poverty
Poverty
As a Pro-Life Democrat and a Catholic, I believe that supporting life at all stages and reducing poverty is a moral imperative of our nation. Catholic social teaching speaks extensively of poverty as a violation of human dignity. Pope Benedict XVI has said, “Within the community of believers, there can never be room for a poverty that denies anyone what is needed for a dignified life.” Reducing poverty in the midst of such enormous wealth is a theme shared by many faith traditions and communities across our country.
Prior to the current economic slowdown, our economy had experienced periods of strong growth and employment since 2001, yet the number of individuals, families and children living in poverty continues to increase since 2000. According to recently released data from the U.S. Census Bureau, there were 15,000 families and 26,839 children living in poverty in 2007 in the Second Congressional District of Nebraska. Our nation has experienced periods of dramatic poverty reduction in the past, most recently in the 1990s in which the national poverty rate fell from a little over 15 percent to just over 11 percent between 1993 and 2000. We can reverse the trend of growing poverty that has reasserted itself since 2000 with sound economic and social policies coupled with motivated individual initiative.
Reducing poverty is not just a moral imperative- it is of great economic importance as well. With income inequality at historically high levels, the current pattern of wealth distribution will be incapable of maintaining long-term prosperity and growth. Poverty has profound implications for the future of our society, as it is the single greatest threat to child well-being and development. Children growing up in poverty are at greater risk for many adverse outcomes such as poor mental and physical health, inadequate nutrition, lower educational attainment, and increased interaction with the justice system. According to the National Center for Children in Poverty, economists estimate that child poverty costs the U.S. $500 billion a year in lost productivity in the labor force and spending on health care and the criminal justice system. A reduction in poverty will create more consumers, and allow more people to participate in the economic and civic life of our nation. Reducing child poverty will ensure that as many children as possible grow up in conditions that maximize their opportunities for success.
As poverty continues to increase despite overall economic growth and increases in worker productivity, there is a growing disconnect between work and financial stability. Poverty has been called an “unnatural disaster,” a result of economic, social and political choices that we Americans have made, both as individuals and as a society. While individual behaviors and choices do affect the severity and duration of poverty, the consequences and pervasiveness of barriers to economic opportunity prevalent in many of our systems and policies cannot be ignored. Reducing poverty and barriers to opportunity will require economic policies that promote the creation of high-quality jobs and a strong and well-trained workforce, coupled with social policies designed to support working families and provide more than just a safety net but rather a path to financial stability through a focus on asset-building. As Congressman, I will work to promote the dignity of life and also the stability of our economy by advocating for policies which support working families in Nebraska and help them build wealth. I will promote policies that create more opportunities for more Americans and the greatest amount of opportunities for our children.
[1] Pope Benedict XVI, “God Is Love,”
December 25, 2005, 20.
[2] U.S. Census Bureau 2007 American Community Survey, (Tables B17006 and B17010)
[3] Rev. Larry Snyder, President of Catholic Charities USA, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support of the House Committee on Ways and Means, April 26, 2007.