IV 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 1024 
Expressing support for designation of January as Poverty in America 
Awareness Month. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 20, 2010 
Mr. MCDERMOTT submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Ways and Means 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing support for designation of January as Poverty 
in America Awareness Month. 
Whereas, in 2008, the Census Bureau found that the number 
of people living in poverty has jumped by nearly 
2,600,000 to 39,800,000, the highest number since 1960; 
Whereas that same report found that the percentage of peo-
ple living in poverty, 13.2 percent, rose to the highest 
level since 1997; 
Whereas, in 2008, the number of children who lived in pov-
erty increased by 744,000 to 14,000,000; 
Whereas the share of people in the United States who have 
incomes that fall below half of the Federal poverty line 
reached 5.7 percent, or 17,100,000 people, its highest 
level since 1994; 
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Whereas the next Census report on poverty will likely illus-
trate higher levels of poverty as the report will reflect 
data from 2009, a year in which the economy experienced 
substantial job loss and historic levels of long-term unem-
ployment, leading some experts to project that the overall 
poverty rate may increase by 1.5 percentage points and 
the percentage of children living in poverty may increase 
by 6 percentage points in the next report; 
Whereas, between 1989 and 2000, the overall poverty rate 
declined by 1.5 percentage points and child poverty de-
creased by 3.4 percentage points, those achievements 
have been nearly reversed as the overall poverty rate in-
creased by 1.9 percentage points and child poverty in-
creased by 2.8 percentage points from 2000 to 2008; 
Whereas there is broad consensus among researchers and pol-
icy experts that the Federal poverty measure is outdated 
and inadequate in determining the depth and extent of 
poverty in the United States; 
Whereas rising levels of poverty and economic hardship have 
a severe impact on the overall well-being of children in 
the Nation; 
Whereas the U.S. Census Bureau and other organizations 
have highlighted the unmet needs that existed for some 
of the most vulnerable families prior to the recession; 
Whereas while the Federal Government has provided critical 
assistance to needy individuals and families in their time 
of need, more can and should be done to strengthen the 
Nation’s safety-net programs, and other programs invest-
ing in communities and families to ensure that all needy 
people in the United States have access to the support 
services for which they are eligible; 
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•HRES 1024 IH 
Whereas, during the present economic downturn, Congress 
should do more to help individuals and families rise out 
of poverty and maintain economic stability through the 
use of a variety of programs promoting education and 
training, childcare assistance, housing security, and re-
lated services; and 
Whereas it would be appropriate to designate the month of 
January 2010 as Poverty in America Awareness Month: 
Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That— 
(1) the House of Representatives— 
(A) supports the designation of Poverty in 
America Awareness Month; and 
(B) recognizes the important contributions 
of those individuals and organizations that have 
made a commitment to providing critical sup-
port and services to needy individuals and fami-
lies; and 
(2) it is the sense of the House of Representa-
tives that— 
(A) eradicating poverty in the United 
States should be the goal for all people in the 
United States, including all levels of govern-
ment; 
(B) the severe economic downturn has 
highlighted the need to ensure that the Nation’s 
most vulnerable individuals and families are 
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able to meet their most fundamental needs dur-
ing a time of financial crisis; and 
(C) Congress should recommit itself to 
helping individuals and families facing economic 
hardship receive the assistance they need and 
deserve in moving towards greater economic se-
curity through programs under Title IV of the 
Social Security Act and other related programs. 
Æ 
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