Joe Crowley: “It was 50 years ago that then-President Lyndon Johnson declared a war on poverty. I rise today to join my colleagues in…”

“It was 50 years ago that then-President Lyndon Johnson declared a war on poverty. I rise today to join my colleagues in recognizing the 50th anniversary of this declaration, this promise that America will be a better place for the generations that come after us. I join them in restating our commitment to fighting for policies that lift all Americans up. That American Dream that we so often speak of, it only happens if we embrace national initiatives that respect and encourage that dream-- guaranteeing a fair wage, promoting educational opportunity, and investing in an economy that works for the 21st century. That is what we should be spending our time on here in Congress, not gutting consumer and safety protections, or political distractions like we see on this week's agenda. I am not worried that the Republican Party has surrendered in the war on poverty; I am worried that they were never interested in it to begin with. A life in poverty shouldn't be a life sentence with no future, but for too many Americans, that is exactly what it is. Mr. Speaker, 46.5 million Americans live in poverty today; 16 million of those are children. In my hometown of New York City, that is one in three children. One in three children. These families, these children, find themselves trapped in poverty, and they need a government that is willing to help them out of that morass. Helping those in need has long been a part of our country's philosophy.…”