[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 4 (Wednesday, January 8, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E22]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        COMMEMORATING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE WAR ON POVERTY

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                       HON. ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA

                           of american samoa

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, January 8, 2014

  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker. in his first State of the Union 
address on January 8, 1964, President Lyndon Baines Johnson declared an 
``unconditional war on poverty in America.'' Today, as a member of 
Congress and as a member of the Democratic Whip Task Force on Poverty 
and Opportunity, I join my colleagues to mark the 50th anniversary of 
this declaration and stand in solidarity to continue the fight against 
economic injustice.
  The War on Poverty policy initiative introduced federal programs such 
as Head Start, Job Corps, Volunteers in Service to America, and legal 
services for the poor. It also strengthened America's safety net for 
poor through food stamps and expanding social security and healthcare 
programs, which American families, including those in my district of 
American Samoa, continue to benefit from today.
  Our nation has made significant progress over the past half century. 
We have seen, for example, the percent of the population in poverty 
drop from 26% in 1967 to 16% in 2012. But the war has yet to be won. 
Today, poverty continues to plague our communities and Americans 
continue to suffer the effects of economic recession and long term 
unemployment.
  As President Johnson declared 50 years ago today, ``Our task is to 
help replace their despair with opportunity.'' Government can still 
play a crucial role in reducing hardship for Americans and increasing 
opportunities for families who struggle just to make ends meet. As we 
commemorate the 50th anniversary of the War on Poverty, let us be 
resolved to continue the fight so that all Americans can have the 
opportunity to attain the American dream.

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