[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 86 (Monday, June 1, 2015)]
[House]
[Pages H3634-H3640]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
THE CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Westerman). Under the Speaker's
announced policy of January 6, 2015, the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms.
Kelly) is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority
leader.
General Leave
Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members be given 5 days to revise and extend their remarks.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Illinois?
There was no objection.
Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor and a privilege to
once again have the opportunity to stand on the House floor and to
anchor the Congressional Black Caucus' Special Order hour with the
distinguished gentleman from New Jersey.
Today, we will discuss the many economic challenges facing so many
everyday Americans; and, specifically, tonight, we want to examine some
of the economic barriers, some of the policy possibilities, and the
outlook on job prospects for African Americans in districts that we
represent across the country.
It is worth beginning with the fact that we are now about 6 years
removed from the end of what historians and economists deem the Great
Recession. America's economy has rallied. We have inched our way closer
and closer to full recovery. In fact, the beginning of 2015 saw the
most sustained period of job creation in this century.
The fact remains that, in spite of the steady stream of progress and
even in the midst of our positive job numbers, there are still too many
people being left behind. Many of these people live in communities like
the ones I represent in Cook County and Kankakee.
[[Page H3635]]
Many of these people can be found in urban, central, or rural America.
I guarantee that we all know someone out there who is still in the
midst of their own personal economic recovery. The fact remains that
many communities of color are struggling mightily in their recovery. In
many Black and Brown neighborhoods, unemployment remains at a crisis
level--this, even as our economy continues to rebound.
I am reminded of a quote by a former National Urban League president
and civil rights hero that the hardest work in the world is being out
of work. That is something that I personally believe.
So often, I will hear folks say that America's unemployed have made a
choice to not work, that vulnerable Americans looking for work are
doing so because they have made poor decisions. We hear this time and
time again, especially in this Chamber, about folks need to go pull
themselves up by their bootstraps.
I can tell you that I have seen people tug in vain on their
bootstraps to no avail. Many families still need help in their
recovery. As Representatives, we need to hear their cry and do more.
Marc Morial, who has followed in the footsteps of Whitney Young and
taken the helm of the National Urban League, was recently quoted as
saying: ``It is clear that for too many Blacks and Latinos, our
Nation's economic recovery is only something they read or hear about.''
America's comeback is bypassing large swaths of people in Black and
Brown neighborhoods, and that is dangerous not only to those
communities, but to our Nation. A recovery that leaves millions of its
citizens behind will ultimately threaten America's sustained growth.
Even before the Great Recession, Black unemployment has consistently
been twice as high as White unemployment. I think Congressman Payne and
my colleagues gathered here this evening would agree that we have to
address this problem now.
To again quote Mr. Morial, of the National Urban League, ``For Blacks
and Latinos in America, the economic devastation of the Great Recession
is as real today as it was when it began in 2007.''
Consider these statistics on the economic reality of many Africans
Americans, according to a Brandeis University study. A typical Black
household has accumulated less than one-tenth of the wealth of a
typical White one, and that number is getting worse.
Over the past 25 years, the wealth gap between Blacks and Whites has
nearly tripled. Now, this is largely because homeownership among Blacks
is so much lower. Housing is often America's greatest asset and a major
component of their overall wealth.
African Americans typically have lower incomes than Whites, which
also makes it harder for them to save and build wealth. The median
income for Black households is less than 60 percent of that of White
ones. Finally, the jobless rate for Black Americans is twice that of
Whites.
Mr. Speaker, the time to act is now. The necessity in responding to
this economic crisis should be an American imperative. We cannot be
limited by narrowly focusing on a pre-Recession economy.
The Members of this House should be strategizing to support a bold
and inclusive economy that propels us into a sustainable future. More
can be done by us, and this administration has proven to have been
willing to take the positive steps necessary to put us on a more
prosperous path.
Regardless of where some of our colleagues are when it comes to the
President, I think we are all in agreement that more Americans in the
workforce and more economic stimulation benefits all of us.
{time} 2045
The question is still relevant: How do we create a stronger economy
and a more perfect union? Where do we go from here?
I am very pleased again to be joined tonight by my distinguished
colleague from the Congressional Black Caucus as we discuss this
important analysis of the economy and job opportunity in our
communities.
The insight and policy prescriptions are critical and valuable in our
continuing march toward a more perfect union. Let me first yield to the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne), my dynamic coanchor.
Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I first want to start by thanking my
colleague from Illinois, Congresswoman Kelly, for coanchoring this
Special Order with me.
Thanks also to the members of the Congressional Black Caucus that
will be joining us, and a special thanks to everyone watching at home.
It is wonderful to be here to talk about our shared priorities.
Tonight, as stated by my colleague, we are going to address two of the
most pressing issues for African American communities, jobs and
economic development.
Since the Recession ended, much of the United States has experienced
economic recovery. However, African American communities continue to
face significant challenges to securing jobs, escaping poverty, and
accumulating wealth.
It is a disturbing and unacceptable reality and a reminder that
Congress has a moral responsibility to create avenues of economic
prosperity for African American communities. Our focus must be on the
economic issues that matter most to African American communities,
including employment, income, and wealth.
According to an April report by the U.S. Congress Joint Economic
Committee, at 10.1 percent, the unemployment rate for African Americans
is double the rate for White Americans. African Americans are 2.5 times
more likely than White Americans to face long-term unemployment, and
over 20 percent of African Americans in their early twenties are still
unemployed. This hurts earning prospects and long-term employment.
Given the higher rates of unemployment in African American
communities, it is no surprise that African American communities also
have lower incomes and less wealth, and African Americans are more
likely to live and stay in poverty.
According to the April Joint Economic Committee report, the median
income of an African American household is only $34,600, almost $24,000
less than White households in this country. African Americans are
almost three times more likely to live in poverty than White Americans.
African American households have 13 times less wealth than White
households.
In my State of New Jersey, the statistics are equally as grim. In New
Jersey, the poverty rate for African Americans hovers at 22 percent and
is three times that of White Americans, at 6.6 percent. The
unemployment rate for African Americans is 11.1 percent, and that is
twice that of White Americans, at 5.5 percent.
According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, in New Jersey, in the 10th
Congressional District, the unemployment rate for African Americans is
19.1 percent, which was 2.5 times that of White Americans, at 7.5
percent. These glaring disparities betray the American promise, that
working hard leads to economic stability.
African American women's unemployment today--more women are the
primary breadwinners for their families than ever. In fact, 30 percent
of women earn more than their husbands. Women make up nearly half of
our Nation's workforce.
However, on average, full-time working women earn just 77 cents for
every dollar a man earns, and African American women earn just 64 cents
for every dollar a man earns.
African American women have been hit particularly hard by
unemployment. According to the National Women's Law Center, in April,
African American women's unemployment was at 8.8 percent, higher than
the peak of total women's unemployment during the Recession. Compare
that to the 4.2 percent unemployment rate for White women and to the
national unemployment rate of 5.4 percent.
We need a more widely shared recovery. We cannot strengthen our
households or our economy when such large disparities exist.
The Congressional Black Caucus is committed to tackling this
challenge. The CBC has fought for much-needed investment in job
training, in education, and in employment opportunities to equip people
of color and people from low-income communities with the skills needed
to compete in today's economy.
[[Page H3636]]
Education is definitely key to this prosperity. It is best when we
invest in it and make it possible for all youngsters--all Americans--to
get a good education.
Education is the path to success, but many people simply can't afford
it. African Americans lag sharply behind White Americans in educational
attainment as well. It is a consistent theme that we hear--whether it
is poverty, education, wealth, job opportunities--that these
communities lag behind.
We need a strong nation, irrespective of what community you live in.
Here in Congress and at this CBC, we fight every day to make sure that
all Americans have an equal opportunity to prosper in this Nation.
I see we have been very fortunate to be joined by several of our
colleagues.
Ms. KELLY of Illinois. It is my pleasure and delight to yield to the
gentlewoman from Oakland, California (Ms. Lee), who always has great
things to share with us.
Ms. LEE. First, let me thank you, Congresswoman Kelly and Congressman
Payne, for hosting this Special Order. Your leadership is so important
for these critical discussions.
We are trying in many ways under your leadership to really tell the
truth and let the entire country know exactly what the economic status
is, what the job opportunities and educational opportunities are in the
African American community, and how those disparities continue to grow
and, really, how we need to really do everything we can here to begin
to close those gaps and disparities, so thank you very much once again.
We stand here tonight to discuss economic opportunity--of course, I
have to say the lack of opportunity in the Black community. In recent
months, we have seen communities across this country--including
Baltimore and my hometown of Oakland, California, in my congressional
district--demand an end to the systemic and institutional racial biases
that plague our society.
People, especially young people, are calling for an end to centuries
of oppression. They are fighting for equality of opportunity, the
opportunity for every American to live the American Dream.
Too many places in our Nation are tales of two cities. One city is
bright, shiny, and new. It is home to new condominiums and fancy
restaurants. The other city is left with boarded up stores, abandoned
homes, and too many people without a job and without hope.
I know Congresswoman Kelly, Congressman Payne, Congressman Jeffries,
myself, all of us represent these cities, these two cities within one
context, one environment, one framework, one boundary.
We all know that the inequality of opportunity really is not a new
phenomenon. We have lived with these structural injustices for
centuries, but it wasn't until the race riots erupted in Watts,
Chicago, and Detroit in 1968 that our government began to take some
notice.
After the riots, President Johnson convened the Kerner Commission to
investigate the root causes of the unrest. The Kerner report clearly
showed a nation moving towards two societies: one Black, one White--
separate and unequal. While the Kerner report identified the problem,
our Nation failed to truly address it. There still is not liberty and
justice for all.
The Kerner report also called for better training for police, new
investments in jobs and in housing, and the end of de facto
segregation. Now, this report really could have been written last
month.
Sadly, nearly 50 years later, we still live in a country where the
color of your skin and the ZIP Code in which you were born determines
your future, but I am proud to be working with members of the
Congressional Black Caucus to continue to address these persistent
inequalities in our Nation by working on policies and programs to
create economic growth, educational opportunities, and job
opportunities.
For example, we know that Black children are disadvantaged from day
one. More than one in three Black children are born in poverty. That is
one in three. In the world's richest and most powerful Nation, a third
of all African American children are forced to grow up with the harsh
reality of poverty, day in and day out. This is outrageous. It is
unacceptable.
The cycle of poverty continues in the school systems that
institutionalize this discrimination. While Black students represent
just 18 percent of preschool enrollment, they account for 42 percent of
preschool student expulsions.
Can you believe that? Preschool student expulsions--that is really a
disgrace. We are talking about kids ages 2 to 5 years old. These kids
don't even get a start, let alone a Head Start. What in the world are
children that young doing being expelled from preschool?
Then in high school, the graduation rate for Black students is 16
points lower than the rate for their White peers. Black students are
far less likely than their White counterparts to obtain a 4-year
college degree, and the crisis and inequality extends from education to
the economy itself.
Over the past four decades, the unemployment rate for Blacks has
remained nearly double the rate for Whites. Today, the unemployment
rate in the Black community stands at 10.1 percent; that is reported.
Now, to put that into context, the current African American
unemployment rate is higher than the national average was at the height
of the Great Recession.
In addition to higher unemployment rates, African Americans are also
nearly completely locked out of some key economic sectors, especially
the tech sector.
Only 1 in 14 technical workers in Silicon Valley is African American
or Latino. That is 1 in 14. That is why the CBC has launched the TECH
2020 initiative to work with the tech sector to increase workforce
diversity and investments in STEM education and to expand market
opportunities for businesses to ensure that the jobs of today and
tomorrow are open to all.
For African Americans in the workforce, our Nation's inequalities are
also evident in their paychecks. Congressman Payne just laid out the
statistics for women. While women earn 77 cents on the dollar that a
man earns, it is just 64 cents for African American women. The median
income for Blacks is a mere $34,000. That is nearly $24,000 less than
the median income for Whites.
Most Black families hold their wealth in home equity, so the Great
Recession hit the Black community particularly hard. Too many families
lost everything, and many more Black families are struggling as home
prices fail to keep pace with the stock market. Of course, the net
worth now of African American families is now 6 cents to the dollar for
White families.
The time for action is now. These communities, our communities,
cannot wait any longer. We must come together like never before to
address the inequalities in our Nation that leave Black families
behind.
In my role as co-chair of the CBC's Task Force on Poverty and the
Economy and chair of the Democratic whip's Task Force on Poverty,
Income Inequality, and Opportunity, we are working very hard to give
Black families a fair shot. We are talking about all families, not
leaving any family behind.
I am proud to be working with more than 100 of my colleagues to
advance policies that build pathways out of poverty into the middle
class for everyone, for all Americans.
{time} 2100
Yes, Black lives, like all lives, do count.
We have introduced the Half in Ten Act to develop a national strategy
to cut poverty in half in the next decade. This bill would lift more
than 22 million Americans out of poverty into the middle class in just
the next 10 years by doubling down and coordinating proven antipoverty
programs.
The Congressional Black Caucus also took a stand on poverty in its
alternative budget proposal. We called for robust investments in
education, infrastructure, and affordable housing programs that would
ensure opportunities for all. We must keep up this fight until Congress
makes these long overdue investments.
We need to strengthen the social safety net and invest in proven
antipoverty programs such as the earned income tax credit and the
Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program. These were initiatives
begun 50
[[Page H3637]]
years ago under President Lyndon Johnson's Great Society program, and
they are working.
We also need to raise the minimum wage and fight for a living wage.
That is why we are cosponsors, and we are very proud to be cosponsors,
of H.R. 122, the Original Living Wage Act, sponsored by Congressman Al
Green, which starts by raising the minimum wage for Federal workers and
building up to a living wage. And Congressman Bobby Scott's Raise the
Wage Act, H.R. 2150, would increase the minimum wage to $12 by 2020.
Thirty-five million Americans would benefit from this.
Also we wrote a letter signed by 72 colleagues urging the President
to adopt a fair chance hiring policy at the Federal level for
individuals who have been previously incarcerated. A fair chance hiring
policy would level the playing field and help stop the cycle of
recidivism that is plaguing our communities. This is simply the right
thing to do. The Federal Government should not put up barriers to work
for those trying to rebuild their lives after making a mistake and
having paid their dues to society.
Finally, Mr. Speaker, I am saying tonight, and I think all of us are
saying, that we need to give families the opportunity to build wealth
and live the American Dream. We can end poverty not just in the African
American community, but in the entire United States as a whole. So we
have got to keep calling for action.
As Dr. King said in his ``Two Americas'' speech that he gave on April
14, 1968, at Stanford University, 1968, he said: ``We must come to see
that social progress never rolls in on the wheels of inevitability. It
comes through the tireless efforts and persistent work of dedicated
individuals.''
Mr. Speaker, we must be those dedicated individuals working for the
social progress that is so desperately needed. When you look at the
analysis of the economy, job opportunities and educational
opportunities in the African American community, we must win this fight
because the gaps and the disparities are too great. Only then will
America be strong, because we have to remember that we are a country
where everyone is equal under the law. In fact, when you have
communities with such horrible statistics as we are laying out tonight,
such horrible economic and educational gaps, our country is not as
strong as it could be. And so we are saying that we want liberty and
justice for everyone, that all lives matter, including Black lives.
Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Thank you, Congresswoman Lee. Thank you for
your hard work, your dedication, and all of your insight. You are so
right about ZIP Codes that determine so much, unfortunately. And we
have to give every young child, every family, a fair chance, and
hopefully we will see the day when some of the bills that we have put
forward actually are brought to the floor and voted on in a positive
way. So thank you so very much.
It is now my pleasure and honor to call to the floor and introduce
Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, from the great State of New York and the
borough of Brooklyn. Thank you Hakeem.
Mr. JEFFRIES. I thank my good friend, the distinguished gentlewoman
from Illinois, Robin Kelly, for yielding, for her very generous
introduction, and certainly to my good friend and classmate, Donald
Payne, for co-anchoring this Special Order. And as well, I want to
acknowledge the presence of distinguished Congresswoman Barbara Lee
from California for her continued eloquence and contribution on such a
significant issue.
I really count it an honor and a privilege to once again have the
opportunity to come to the House floor to participate in this Special
Order hour, this CBC hour of power, co-anchored by the dynamic duo of
D. Payne and R. Kelly. We really appreciate their continued
involvement, eloquence, and leadership in helping to articulate for the
American people, as part of this conversation that we are able to have
periodically, the issues of great importance to the African American
community, but issues that I believe are also of great importance to
the broader American community.
Poverty is an issue that certainly impacts the city of Newark that
Congressman Payne represents, the city of Oakland that Barbara Lee
represents, the city of Chicago that Congresswoman Kelly represents,
and part of the city of New York that I represent in part. Even though
the ZIP Codes for those four particular municipalities may be
different, the issues of lack of economic community opportunity, of
course, are largely the same. Far too many people do not robustly have
an opportunity to pursue the American Dream in a manner that is
consistent with what America is supposed to be, a place where, if you
just work hard and stay on the right path, you have an opportunity to
lift yourself up out of the station that you may have been born into in
life. But we know, unfortunately, that race seems to play a role in
that capacity to pull yourself up by your bootstraps.
In fact, while one in three Whites who find themselves in poverty
have the ability, it appears, to elevate themselves out of it--and
those numbers may even be a little higher--only one in five African
Americans appear to have the capacity to lift themselves out of an
impoverished condition that they find themselves in.
Why that is the case is something that I think we need to be able to
explore, because regardless of race, it should be a matter of fact here
in America that everyone has got a chance to be able to provide for
their families to live a middle class lifestyle.
Now, the interesting thing that I found upon my arrival here at the
Congress is that issues related to poverty really shouldn't be a Black
issue or a White issue, a Democratic issue or a Republican issue. It
shouldn't be an urban issue or a rural issue. It is an American issue.
In fact, when you look at what has often been defined as persistently
poor counties, counties where 20 percent of the population have been
below the Federal poverty line for 30 or more years, more of those
persistently poor counties are actually represented in this wonderful
body by Republicans than by Democrats. So for the life of me, I haven't
been able to figure out why we have not been able to come together and
find common ground to deal with the problem of poverty in America,
because this is not some narrow constituent issue that those of us in
the Congressional Black Caucus happen to have and our friends on the
other side of the aisle aren't experiencing in terms of the people that
they represent. This is actually an issue that needs to be addressed by
everybody.
So I am hopeful that as we stand on this House floor, as we extend
our hands out in partnership to the other side of the aisle, that we
can begin to deal with some of these issues, like, for instance, giving
America a raise. For the life of me, I haven't been able to figure out
why we would essentially endorse a policy, a minimum wage standard that
means you can work full-time, 52 weeks a year, 40 hours a week, and
still, when raising a family of three or four, live below the Federal
poverty line. Why aren't we making work pay in America?
Now, we are seeing that places like Los Angeles that recently raised
the minimum wage to $15 an hour are leading the way at the local level,
and I guess that makes sense. Brandeis once said that State government,
local governments, are laboratories of democracy, and here I found that
the House is probably more like the lion's den of democracy. But it
seems to me that we should be able to figure out a pathway toward
dealing with some commonsense solutions to dealing with the economic
problems that face everyday Americans, like investing in research and
development, investing in education and job training, investing in
technology and innovation, investing in transportation and
infrastructure, and investing in the American worker in a way that
makes sense because the deck has been stacked against him, the African
American worker or the individual within the African American community
that is desperately trying to seek work.
We are suffering from double-digit unemployment in this recovery.
When other communities seem to have been able to get back on track and
our unemployment numbers are still higher than the collective number
during the Great Recession, that is a scandal. We should all have a
problem with that.
But the deck generally is stacked against the American worker. Since
the early 1970s, the productivity of the American worker has increased
in excess of 275 percent. American workers have been more productive
over the
[[Page H3638]]
last 40-plus years, yet during that same time period, wages have
increased less than 10 percent. They have remained stagnant. The deck
is stacked.
The increase in productivity of the American worker has gone to the
privileged few, and we have seen that that has continued during this
recovery where corporate profits are way up, the stockmarket is way up,
and CEO compensation is way up, but people in the African American
community and others are still struggling to be able to recover from
the devastating impact that the collapse of the economy had on our
community and on many communities throughout America.
So, Mr. Speaker, I just want to thank my good friends for raising the
issue, for once again standing before the American people to address
this great issue of significance.
We were all in recess over the last few days back at home, spread
across the country, but now we have come back. We are here for 4
conservative weeks to do the people's business, and I am hopeful we can
figure out a way to deal with a laser-like focus the problems
confronting the persistently poor and those who are in the middle class
or trying to become part of the great American middle class.
Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Thank you very much, Congressman Jeffries. You
always have great words, well thought out and so meaningful. I really
appreciate your comments.
With that, I would like to turn it over to the woman from the great
State of Ohio, my colleague, my freshman colleague and now sophomore
colleague, Congressman Joyce Beatty.
Mrs. BEATTY. Thank you to my colleague, the gentlewoman from
Illinois, and to my colleague, the gentleman from New Jersey.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Congressional Black Caucus this
evening for holding this Special Order hour focusing on the economy and
job opportunities in our community. I know tonight that we will speak
to America and to the folks in this Chamber talking about the issues
that revolve around the economy and jobs and how it affects African
Americans.
I want to join my colleagues tonight and talk about those things that
get in the way when we talk about our education system, when we talk
about the young African Americans going to prison, and when we talk
about the cost of higher education, Mr. Speaker. But I also want to say
thank you, thank you to the HBC universities for educating African
Americans. I want to say thank you to those African Americans who are
in positions to help spur the economy, and having an African American
in the White House. That is because along the way there has been hope
and opportunity.
{time} 2115
So before I talk about those things that get in the way, I want to
make sure that we send the message to a 12-year-old boy in my district,
to a freshman in college, to individuals like my young nephew and my
nieces and my grandchildren, that there will be hope and opportunity
because there are Members in this Chamber and members in the
Congressional Black Caucus who will come and stand up and build that
hope and opportunity to make a difference because we will come with
resolve.
But tonight, I want to share that, while much has changed for African
Americans since the 1963 March on Washington, one thing has not
changed. The unemployment rate among Blacks is about double that among
Whites, as it has been for almost the past six decades.
Mr. Speaker, the current unemployment rate for African Americans is
9.6 percent. This is nearly twice the 4.7 percent unemployment rate for
White Americans.
Although the national unemployment rate has continued to decline
since 2008, a significant race gap still remains. African Americans are
almost three times more likely to live in poverty than White Americans.
African Americans, like all Americans, want economic mobility, access
to high wages, the ability to support themselves and their families in
a middle class lifestyle, while earning wages to allow for the
accumulation of wealth.
To move forward in creating economic opportunities in the African
American community, we must remain focused, focused as the members of
the Congressional Black Caucus are, on how we can bridge the divides in
our society, and how we can bring our Nation closer together.
It is well established in the fact that students of color face
harsher punishments in schools than their White peers, leading to a
higher number of youth of color in detention, suspension, and even
being expelled.
African American students are arrested far more often than their
White classmates. Black and Hispanic students, Mr. Speaker, represent
more than 70 percent of those in school-related arrests or referrals to
law enforcement. African Americans make up two-fifths and Hispanics
one-fifth of confined youth today.
Disparities are found not only in how we punish behavior in our
schools, but also how we fund education. This is true in K-12, and it
is also true with higher education.
While we know that a college degree is a path to a middle class life,
African Americans are less likely to obtain education beyond high
school than White students, and they are less likely to earn a degree.
And for those African American college students who are able to make
it to graduation, after graduating they graduate with more student debt
than White students. Continued Federal and State cuts to tuition
assistance, grant programs, and work study opportunities continue to
threaten African American access to a better education.
We must confront these injustices head on. We have an obligation to
find real solutions to these problems that have plagued our communities
for generations. We must promote policies that increase the pace of job
creation, expand opportunities for the long-term unemployed to reenter
the workforce. We must provide incentives for businesses to hire and
make investments in revitalizing schools, infrastructures, and our
neighborhoods.
Like we did 50 years ago as we were in Selma, we must continue to do
that again today. We must continue to stand arm in arm so we can bring
an end to the disparities that hold our hard-working families back from
achieving the middle class dream and the dreams of all Americans that
we all should be equal, Mr. Speaker.
And again, to my colleagues, thank you for holding this Special Order
hour. Thank you for working with the members of the Congressional Black
Caucus and all of our colleagues so we could move forward and not have
the disparities that you have heard about tonight.
Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Thank you Congresswoman Beatty, and thank you
for your words, and also thank you for your insight, as well as our
other colleagues that have shared this evening with us tonight. We
really, really appreciate it. And we hope that when we come back next
year this time that we can see some improvements and not have to talk
about the same things over and over and over. We have heard back from
1968 some of the same statistics, and here we are so many years later
still having to talk about the same thing. So we hope to see progress
toward this economic stability for the African American family.
We have heard from my colleagues some staggering statistics. The
story is even more disconcerting for our Nation's youth. Workers 19
years old and younger are finding it more difficult than ever to find
quality afterschool and summer employment. The unemployment rate for
White youth age 16 to 19 stands at 14.5 percent--again, roughly half
that of their Black teenage counterparts, who have an unemployment rate
of 27.5 percent.
Over one in four Black teenagers who are looking for work are unable
to find it. Over one in four. This is simply unacceptable. As a Nation,
we must do more to invest in underserved communities and provide
opportunities for self-empowerment and growth for our Nation's youth.
Denying African American teens a summer job could cause them to miss
out on a lifetime of opportunities and experiences. Many high school
students use the summer months to work and put money aside for college.
But if there are no jobs to be found, Mr. Speaker, many students will
be denied the opportunity to attend college and will forever be shut
out from many opportunities and will forever be shut out
[[Page H3639]]
also from the many jobs that require a college degree.
With college graduates earning an average of $45,000 per year,
compared to those only with a high school diploma earning an average of
$28,000 per year, lacking a college degree can set noncollege graduates
up for a lifetime of economic difficulties and frustrations. That is
almost $1 million in lost wages over the course of a lifetime.
I have been working in my district to connect employers with eager
young employees. In April, I hosted my second annual Youth Employment
Summit, where local youth aged 15 to 24 could connect with area
companies. Many were hired on the spot, and even more were scheduled
interviews for jobs and internships this summer.
But job fairs alone are not the answer, Mr. Speaker. As a Nation, we
need increased investment in job training, infrastructure investment,
and community development. In the long run, any economic growth that
doesn't allow for full participation of all Americans, including those
traditionally marginalized like minorities and young people, will not
be sustainable. Our economy must work for everyone, not just a select
few.
Continuing to leave underserved communities behind will only
perpetuate and expand the great disparities in wealth between American
citizens and continue to breed a cycle of poverty, violence, and a
sense of helplessness in those communities.
Reinvesting in our Nation's youth and our Nation's minority
communities is not only vital to our country's economic health but to
its public health as well.
Lack of economic opportunity leads to violence, and violence only
perpetuates a lack of economic opportunity. The two go hand-in-hand,
and, if not addressed, it will create a downward spiral, preventing any
positive growth for our Nation's youth and disadvantaged communities.
Mr. Speaker, tomorrow we will recognize the first annual National Gun
Violence Awareness Day. Like many of my colleagues, I will wear orange.
Orange is the color hunters wear to alert their companions of their
presence, to avoid being shot. It is a warning color. Orange screams:
``Don't shoot.''
Too many of my constituents often feel like they have to wear orange
while walking down their block on Chicago's South Side. In fact,
tomorrow is Hadiya Pendleton's birthday. As we all know, she was shot
while playing in a park or running away.
Mr. Speaker, I often say that nothing stops a bullet like a job. The
surest way to decrease violence and increase economic prosperity in
underserved communities is to expand access to jobs and education.
Mr. PAYNE. I thank the gentlewoman from Illinois and also the
gentlewoman from Ohio for joining us this evening. Her thoughts and
comments are always salient and to the point, and we appreciate her
supporting us in this effort. We sophomores have to stick together. It
is just always a delight for me to be able to hear what Mrs. Beatty has
to say in terms of the topics that we discuss. She has demonstrated
true leadership in the CBC since her arrival.
Mr. Speaker, this is the greatest Nation on the face of the Earth,
and there are many issues, many mottos, many sayings that go along with
this Nation. And one of them is that all men are created equal. But why
do we continue to find such gaps in all people being created equal and
the circumstances some communities find themselves in?
Like anyone, young African Americans would like to grow up, educated
well, raise their families, and eke out an income that sustains them
and creates a quality of life that all people deserve. But that doesn't
happen. We have the haves and the have-nots, the 99 percent and the 1
percent. And too often it seems like that is what our Nation is built
on. Sure, we talk about equality, we talk about equal rights, but for
some reason, in many instances, it just doesn't seem to fit the
circumstance.
Wages for working people have stagnated, as my colleague from New
York said, over 15 years, but we have watched the top 1 percent make
more and more money. Their quality of life is something people would
dream about, hear about in fairy tales. But, no, some people are living
that well while others struggle every single day.
And what would it be in a Nation if we were held to these different
virtues, to these different mottos, to these different sayings? Well,
it would mean, Mr. Speaker, that people needing food stamps wouldn't be
going up. That is not something people look forward to. That is a last-
ditch effort to feed your family. That is desperation. That is not a
goal to aspire to.
Too many times we feel that people in this country that have not made
it or have found it difficult to be successful, well, they are just not
doing what they need to do. There are systemic structural circumstances
in this Nation that keep people from attaining success. And until we
deal with those issues, we will continue to see what we see.
And let me just say that why wouldn't we want more people to have
prosperity? Why wouldn't we want more people to be doing well? That
means they are paying into the system, that they don't have to rely on
the system and take out of the system. The more people paying in, the
more it reduces the burden of the rest of us. I don't see why that is
not clear.
I made the same example during our talks about the Affordable Care
Act. The more people you have paying into the system, the less we have
to pay because, guess what. When there is someone who is not paying
into the system, guess who picks up the burden--the rest of us.
{time} 2130
If you disburse that cost over more people--it is basic economics--
guess what happens? It reduces it for everyone.
Here we are in the greatest nation in the world--no question about
it--and at times, we are talking around the world about how other
countries should treat their people. You have to look inside, and
people are able to point back at us and say: Wait a minute. Why do you
have communities such as that? Why is there such disparity? How can you
tell us when we see what is happening in your nation?
Mr. Speaker, we can't talk out of both sides of our mouths. If we are
going to be the greatest nation, then we have to act like it and stand
up and do the things that make it a great nation.
There is no reason we cannot find a way out of this problem. We are
able to create jobs as we have smart businesspeople throughout this
Nation if there were an incentive for them to do it, but the status quo
is all right with them because their value continues to go up, that of
the 1 percent, so why should they change?
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. That is their motto. They are doing
better and better while, for the rest of us, our quality of life goes
down or remains stagnant.
Mr. Speaker, this has had an adverse impact on African American
businesses, and in an increasingly connected economy, it is also
detrimental to the broader economic growth in this country in that all
people are not able to have a living wage or to take care of their
families.
I want to thank my colleague, Congresswoman Kelly, for her leadership
and for leading tonight's Congressional Black Caucus' Special Order
hour.
In closing, as we welcome the continued recovery and growth of our
economy, we must keep in mind that work remains to build an equal
society and to expand opportunities for African Americans across the
country. African American communities are not sharing in the economic
recovery.
We have a moral obligation to tackle the economic challenges facing
Black communities and to create avenues of economic prosperity for all
Americans. The CBC will be at that fight for as long as necessary. It
is our agenda that works for all Americans, African Americans, Hispanic
Americans, White Americans.
Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Thank you, Congressman Payne.
Mr. Speaker, I, too, want to thank my colleagues for giving the
Congressional Black Caucus and this Congress the opportunity to put the
important economic concerns of this Nation's in the spotlight this
evening. Millions of Americans are living on the brink.
These aren't merely concerns for these individuals and their
families;
[[Page H3640]]
they are national concerns. I have always believed that what makes our
Nation great is our recognition that everyone should have the ability
to live and rise to their full potential. Economic parity is one of the
most fundamental issues facing us as a nation right now.
I hope, in this hour, we have appropriately shed some light on some
of the concerns of the Congressional Black Caucus when it comes to the
economy and to job opportunities in our communities--or the lack of
them.
Again, I want to thank my coanchor, the Honorable Donald Payne, Jr.,
who himself is a strong defender of the economic possibilities of
Newark, of Orange, and of communities across New Jersey's 10th
Congressional District.
I will close as I began this evening in saying that the time to act
is now. The necessity in responding to the economic crises of Black
employment and underemployment should be an American imperative. The
time is now to support a bold and inclusive economy that propels us
into a sustainable future.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with my
colleagues of the Congressional Black Caucus in opposition to income
inequality in the United States. As millions of Americans remain
without work, while others are underpaid or underemployed, it is
imperative that we address the growing threat to our country that is
income inequality.
Since the 1970s, we have witnessed a dangerous trend develop where
wage growth for middle and lower income households has become stagnant
while incomes at the very top continue to rise sharply. From 1973 to
2005, real hourly wages for the top 10 percent rose by 30 percent or
more, whereas the bottom 50 percent of all Americans experienced only
marginal real wage increases of a little more than 5 percent.
The income gap is further amplified when comparing races. Overall,
Caucasian males earn a median income of more than $40,000 per year
while African American males average roughly $30,000 during the same
time period. Hispanic Americans average just over $26,000 each year.
These discrepancies by race are particularly alarming, considering that
these figures are even lower for women.
The percentage of wealth controlled by the richest Americans is
another disturbing fact that is often overlooked. The top 1 percent of
Americans own 40 percent of our entire nation's wealth, while the
bottom 80 percent of Americans share only 7 percent of the nation's
wealth. In historical terms, the last time our nation faced such a wide
income gap was during the 1920s leading up to the Great Depression.
Mr. Speaker, while Congress struggles with raising the minimum wage,
millions of working individuals and families across the country
continue to struggle with stagnant pay and rising inflation. Until we
take a serious look at comprehensive reform to curb income inequality,
the consequences will continue harming our communities of color, and
prove catastrophic for our nation's economy.
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