IV 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 763 

Expressing support for the development of a national strategic plan to end 

deep poverty. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 12, 2019 

Mr. SERRANO (for himself, Mr. NADLER, Ms. NORTON, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, and Mr. EVANS) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing support for the development of a national 

strategic plan to end deep poverty. 

Whereas despite the United States being a Nation of great 

wealth, 17,300,000 people still lived in deep poverty in 

2018; 

Whereas the definition of deep poverty is having an income 

below half the Federal poverty line (in 2018 that equated 

to $6,392 or less for a single person; $12,850 or less for 

a family of 4); 

Whereas deep poverty is caused in large part by a continued 

history of structural inequalities that deepen economic 

hardship and limit opportunity; 

Whereas Native Americans, African Americans, and Latinos 

(and Latinas) disproportionately experience deep poverty 


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•HRES 763 IH 

in the United States (and high rates of deep poverty are 

also found among people with disabilities, women (particularly women-headed households), children, young 

adults, and people experiencing homelessness); 

Whereas poverty is dehumanizing and physically and psychologically harmful to children and adults, with negative effects that accumulate over time; 

Whereas children and older adults are particularly vulnerable 

to experiencing deep poverty; 

Whereas, in 2017, over 30 percent of all children in the 

United States (5,900,000) and 8.9 percent of those age 

65 and older (1,700,000) live in families experiencing 

deep poverty; 

Whereas exiting deep poverty is especially difficult because of 

extreme material hardship, social exclusion, and cumulative disadvantage, all of which compromise health and 

well-being, reduce opportunities and life chances, and 

heighten the likelihood of experiencing poverty that is extreme and chronic; 

Whereas people living in poverty are widely stereotyped as 

not working, when in fact many low-income people work 

but do not earn enough to move out of poverty; 

Whereas negative attitudes and beliefs about low-income people and communities result in stigma, decreased empathy, 

social and cognitive distancing from people experiencing 

poverty, and lower support for poverty alleviation programs and policies; 

Whereas despite significant hardship, individuals living in 

deep poverty often express optimism and hope for the future, a creative ingenuity for making ends meet, a comVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:56 Dec 12, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR763.IH HR763

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mitment to family and community, a strong work ethic, 

and pride in their work; and 

Whereas because deep poverty is the result of intersecting 

systemic factors (for example, lack of access to housing, 

health care, food, and living wages), its solution will necessitate coordinated efforts to change systems through 

programs that have not been designed to work in concert 

with each other: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) recognizes that, even if we are not person3 ally experiencing deep poverty, we are all harmed by 

4 poverty and economic inequality; 

5 (2) believes that economic inequality affects 

6 health outcomes of those with limited economic re7 sources by increasing chronic diseases, obesity, drug 

8 and alcohol problems that ultimately shorten life 

9 expectancies, and that there are higher rates of 

10 these health issues across all income groups in coun11 tries with higher rates of income inequality; 

12 (3) understands that there is no single, simple 

13 solution to the problem of deep poverty because 

14 some groups are more vulnerable to living in deep 

15 poverty than others; 

16 (4) acknowledges that while social science has 

17 contributed to the understanding of poverty in gen18 eral, there are unique contributions that psycholoVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:56 Dec 12, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR763.IH HR763

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1 gists have made to the understanding of deep pov2 erty; 

3 (5) recognizes that science must be used to ad4 dress the structural barriers and cognitive processes 

5 that lead to, are a result of, and perpetuate deep 

6 poverty, and should be used to generate solutions; 

7 (6) believes the Federal Government has a clear 

8 responsibility and the capacity to meet basic human 

9 needs and to engender respect for the human dignity 

10 of people living in deep poverty; and 

11 (7) supports the development of a national stra12 tegic plan to end deep poverty, including Federal, 

13 State, and local policy solutions that address the 

14 complex factors and structures that contribute to 

15 deep poverty. 

Æ 


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