[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 6]
[House]
[Pages 8009-8014]
[From the U.S. 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. 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

[[Page 8010]]

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.
  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.

[[Page 8011]]

  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 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

[[Page 8012]]

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 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 
consecutive 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

[[Page 8013]]

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 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

[[Page 8014]]

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 business people 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; 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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