Donald M. Payne: “Let me begin by thanking the dynamic duo of the CBC's freshman class, Mr. Horsford and Mr. Jeffries, for their tireless…”

“Let me begin by thanking the dynamic duo of the CBC's freshman class, Mr. Horsford and Mr. Jeffries, for their tireless leadership in the 113th Congress, and now the Second Session of the 113th Congress. They have demonstrated that they have hit the ground running and understand the issues that are important to the people of the United States. Mr. Speaker, the gap between the rich and poor in this country has really become staggering, and that gap is increasing every single day. Nowhere is that more true than in my home State of New Jersey. The number of wealthy families has doubled. Meanwhile, the poorest income brackets have increased sharply. In my district alone, more than a quarter of the people live in poverty, and this is likely really underestimated due to the high cost of living in New Jersey. Not only is there a growing gap, but unemployment is high, the minimum wage is stagnant, and there is a lack of opportunity throughout this Nation for people to find the jobs that they need to have their families live in the manner in which they should. This, in the richest country in the world, the greatest Nation in the world, is absolutely unacceptable. All of these contribute to growing income inequality. The gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel) was correct. We are not saying that everyone should have the same standard of living or the same salary or income, but the opportunity to rise to those salaries and incomes is the issue of today.…”