[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 7 (Tuesday, January 12, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H291-H292]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        KEMP FORUM: ANTIPOVERTY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Dold) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DOLD. Mr. Speaker, this past weekend brought together a group of 
innovators at the Kemp Forum on Expanding Opportunity in South 
Carolina. This important forum highlighted new and creative ideas to 
address the stubborn problem of poverty in America.
  The Federal Government spends more than half a trillion dollars each 
and every year on antipoverty measures. That is a significant devotion 
of resources. Yet, while some progress has been made in the last 50 
years, today there are still nearly 50 million Americans living in 
poverty.
  Nobody would deny that the results fall far short from where they 
need to be. This is because, at the end of the day, success in the war 
on poverty is measured not at the program level, but on the individual 
level. Success isn't about how many programs exist, but how many people 
can improve their lives by moving up and out of poverty.
  Mr. Speaker, one of the fundamental principles of this great Nation 
is the idea of freedom of opportunity, the opportunity to find work, to 
support yourself, and to support your family.
  By working with local community groups like YouthBuild and leaders 
like Bob Woodson, I have been able to see numerous success stories, 
like my guest for tonight's State of the Union address, Lavell Brown.
  This young man has successfully worked with community groups in North 
Chicago to grow as an individual and to get on a path to a sustainable 
career, and he is now giving back to others at YouthBuild Lake County.
  This model of empowering the individual and helping them develop the 
skills needed to escape poverty is what we need to replicate millions 
of times over. If we can combine the focus on individuals with a 
relentless drive to innovate, I am confident that, in the next 50 
years, our efforts to end poverty and provide greater opportunities 
will be a success.

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