[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 763 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 763

Expressing support for the development of a national strategic plan to 
                           end deep poverty.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 12, 2019

    Mr. Serrano (for himself, Mr. Nadler, Ms. Norton, Mr. Carson of 
 Indiana, and Mr. Evans) submitted the following resolution; which was 
           referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Expressing support for the development of a national strategic plan to 
                           end deep poverty.

Whereas despite the United States being a Nation of great wealth, 17,300,000 
        people still lived in deep poverty in 2018;
Whereas the definition of deep poverty is having an income below half the 
        Federal poverty line (in 2018 that equated to $6,392 or less for a 
        single person; $12,850 or less for a family of 4);
Whereas deep poverty is caused in large part by a continued history of 
        structural inequalities that deepen economic hardship and limit 
        opportunity;
Whereas Native Americans, African Americans, and Latinos (and Latinas) 
        disproportionately experience deep poverty in the United States (and 
        high rates of deep poverty are also found among people with 
        disabilities, women (particularly women-headed households), children, 
        young adults, and people experiencing homelessness);
Whereas poverty is dehumanizing and physically and psychologically harmful to 
        children and adults, with negative effects that accumulate over time;
Whereas children and older adults are particularly vulnerable to experiencing 
        deep poverty;
Whereas, in 2017, over 30 percent of all children in the United States 
        (5,900,000) and 8.9 percent of those age 65 and older (1,700,000) live 
        in families experiencing deep poverty;
Whereas exiting deep poverty is especially difficult because of extreme material 
        hardship, social exclusion, and cumulative disadvantage, all of which 
        compromise health and well-being, reduce opportunities and life chances, 
        and heighten the likelihood of experiencing poverty that is extreme and 
        chronic;
Whereas people living in poverty are widely stereotyped as not working, when in 
        fact many low-income people work but do not earn enough to move out of 
        poverty;
Whereas negative attitudes and beliefs about low-income people and communities 
        result in stigma, decreased empathy, social and cognitive distancing 
        from people experiencing poverty, and lower support for poverty 
        alleviation programs and policies;
Whereas despite significant hardship, individuals living in deep poverty often 
        express optimism and hope for the future, a creative ingenuity for 
        making ends meet, a commitment to family and community, a strong work 
        ethic, and pride in their work; and
Whereas because deep poverty is the result of intersecting systemic factors (for 
        example, lack of access to housing, health care, food, and living 
        wages), its solution will necessitate coordinated efforts to change 
        systems through programs that have not been designed to work in concert 
        with each other: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes that, even if we are not personally 
        experiencing deep poverty, we are all harmed by poverty and 
        economic inequality;
            (2) believes that economic inequality affects health 
        outcomes of those with limited economic resources by increasing 
        chronic diseases, obesity, drug and alcohol problems that 
        ultimately shorten life expectancies, and that there are higher 
        rates of these health issues across all income groups in 
        countries with higher rates of income inequality;
            (3) understands that there is no single, simple solution to 
        the problem of deep poverty because some groups are more 
        vulnerable to living in deep poverty than others;
            (4) acknowledges that while social science has contributed 
        to the understanding of poverty in general, there are unique 
        contributions that psychologists have made to the understanding 
        of deep poverty;
            (5) recognizes that science must be used to address the 
        structural barriers and cognitive processes that lead to, are a 
        result of, and perpetuate deep poverty, and should be used to 
        generate solutions;
            (6) believes the Federal Government has a clear 
        responsibility and the capacity to meet basic human needs and 
        to engender respect for the human dignity of people living in 
        deep poverty; and
            (7) supports the development of a national strategic plan 
        to end deep poverty, including Federal, State, and local policy 
        solutions that address the complex factors and structures that 
        contribute to deep poverty.
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