On the recordFebruary 5, 2018
When you have what we call the working poor--they are going to work every day--think about a mother who is raising a family. She is not asking for a handout. She is actually going to work every day. Some of them are working two jobs and still cannot provide the basics of food, shelter, and clothing for their children. And then when she says, ``I need help,'' they say, ``Oh, these handouts, this social welfare these people are asking for,'' when these are people who are working every day to achieve the American Dream, not to have luxuries, but to have the basics, the minimum wage is a beginning. But you tie that to education. We must address that. Many of these individuals, who have never committed a crime--they are not criminals, they are not bad people--they did not get the education that prepared them, and now they are working, they are trying, they are pursuing the dream of: ``If I work hard every day, if I do the work and show up and be a good employee, I will be able to provide for my family.'' That is not a reality. In America, we should be ashamed of ourselves to have people working and still considered poor in America.
