Pete Stark: “The resolution before us, Mr. Speaker, ignores the realities of increasing child poverty, stagnating wages and lost…”

“The resolution before us, Mr. Speaker, ignores the realities of increasing child poverty, stagnating wages and lost opportunities for those families and children left behind by the so- called success of the welfare reform. Pilot Shaw has landed his plane on the aircraft carrier and said ``mission accomplished,'' and the carrier sank. This resolution, looking at a 10-year window, ignores the disturbing trends of the last 5 years during the Bush Republican Presidency. Total poverty has increased for 4 consecutive years, and more than 37 million people are living in poverty today. Child poverty has been on the rise for 5 straight years, and 13 million children are struggling in poverty today. Real wages for low-income workers have been stagnant for 5 consecutive years. It is time for the minimum wage to be raised, but the Republicans don't care to represent poor people, only rich. Nearly one in three poor single women are not working and not receiving TANF assistance, and fewer than half of the families eligible for TANF receive it. Child care funding under the Republicans is $11 billion short of what CBO estimates the States need. The administration funneled $2 billion alone to religious organizations, trusting in this faith-based stuff, and the GAO has found the Bush faith-based initiative lacks accountability and safeguards against discrimination. And this has been, as Congressman Shaw would claim, the most successful social policy in history.…”