IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 19 

Affirming the sense of Congress regarding the obligation of the United States 

to improve the lives of the 36,950,000 Americans living in poverty 

and the 15,928,000 of those who live in extreme poverty. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 9, 2007 

Ms. LEE submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to 

the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Affirming the sense of Congress regarding the obligation 

of the United States to improve the lives of the 

36,950,000 Americans living in poverty and the 

15,928,000 of those who live in extreme poverty. 

Whereas 8.7 percent of whites, 9.8 percent of Asian-Americans, 21.9 percent of Latinos, and 24.7 percent of African-Americans in lived in poverty in the United States in 

2004; 

Whereas the poverty rate is highest in rural counties, with 

14.5 percent of the population poor; 

Whereas the top 5 most impoverished States according to the 

Census Bureau are Mississippi, New Mexico, West Virginia, Louisiana, and the District of Columbia; 


pwalker on PROD1PC71 with BILLS
2 

•HCON 19 IH 

Whereas extreme poverty is defined as people with income of 

less than 1⁄2 of the poverty level; 

Whereas 12,896,000 children in the United States under the 

age of 18 lived in poverty in 2005, and the number of 

children living in extreme poverty rose by 87,000 from 

2004–2005; 

Whereas, between 2004 and 2005, the real median earnings 

for female full-time, full-year workers declined by 1.3 percent and for male full-time, full-year workers declined by 

1.8 percent; 

Whereas, in 2005, an estimated 33 percent of the homeless 

population are children and an estimated 1,350,000 children will experience homelessness in a year; 

Whereas homeless children face more barriers to school enrollment and attendance due to a lack of available transportation, residency requirements, inability to obtain previous school records, and a lack of clothing and school 

supplies; 

Whereas homeless children are in fair or poor health condition twice as often as other children and have higher 

rates of asthma, ear infections, stomach problems, and 

speech problems; 

Whereas the number of uninsured Americans rose to 

46,577,000 in 2005, 1,272,000 more than in the previous 

year, and the number of Americans without health insurance has risen for 4 consecutive years; 

Whereas the Census Bureau found that more than 25 percent 

of households with an income of less than $25,000 did 

not have health insurance in 2005, whereas 91 percent 

of households with incomes of $75,000 or more had 

health insurance; 


pwalker on PROD1PC71 with BILLS
3 

•HCON 19 IH 

Whereas the Department of Agriculture has found that, in 

2005, 35,100,000 people lived in households experiencing 

food insecurity, meaning that they did not have adequate 

access to enough food to meet basic dietary needs to all 

times due to a lack of financial resources; 

Whereas the Census Bureau survey on food security has 

found those at greatest risk of being hungry live in 

households that are headed by a single woman, a Latino 

or African-American, or with income below the poverty 

line; 

Whereas households with children experience food insecurity 

at more than double the rate for households without children; 

Whereas the Department of Labor records the unemployment 

level at the third quarter of 2006 as being 4.1 percent 

for whites, 9.2 percent for African-Americans and 5.3 

percent for Latinos; and 

Whereas on January 20, 2001, President Bush stated ‘‘In 

the quiet of American conscience, we know that deep, 

persistent poverty is unworthy of our nation’s promise. 

Where there is suffering, there is duty. Americans in 

need are not strangers, they are citizens, not problems, 

but priorities. And all of us are diminished when any are 

hopeless. And I can pledge our nation to a goal: When 

we see that wounded traveler on the road to Jericho, we 

will not pass to the other side.’’: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that— 

3 (1) the United States has an obligation to im4 prove the lives of the 36,950,000 Americans living in 


pwalker on PROD1PC71 with BILLS
4 

•HCON 19 IH 

1 poverty and the 15,928,000 of those who live in ex2 treme poverty; and 

3 (2) the President should immediately present to 

4 Congress a comprehensive plan to eradicate poverty 

5 by 2015. 

Æ 


pwalker on PROD1PC71 with BILLS