Yvette Clarke: “I thank the gentleman from Brooklyn, New York (Mr. Jeffries), my good friend and colleague, for yielding, and the…”

“I thank the gentleman from Brooklyn, New York (Mr. Jeffries), my good friend and colleague, for yielding, and the gentleman from Nevada, the Honorable Mr. Horsford, for anchoring the Special Orders of the Congressional Black Caucus. I join with my colleagues of the Congressional Black Caucus in rising this evening to address the issue of income inequality that continues to splinter the foundation of our Nation. In Brooklyn, the lowest income and the lowest fifth of households took home about 2.5 percent of the borough's income in 2011. The top 5 percent claimed 24 percent. Almost 22 percent of the population of Brooklyn lives in poverty. While the causes of this polarization are complex, I believe they are not insurmountable. The people of Brooklyn have started to stand up and demand action on the issue. We know that the wage stagnation contributes largely to income disparity, so let's raise the minimum wage. We know that education is the true ladder of opportunity in our communities, so let's make the vital investments in education. We know that unemployment insurance is not only an essential tool for individuals, a bridge to find new work, but it is also a stimulus to our local businesses, so let us extend unemployment insurance.…”