Hoyer Remarks on How President Obama’s Fiscal Year 2017 Budget Can Help Americans Living in Poverty

WASHINGTON, DC – House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) spoke on the House Floor today on how President Obama’s Fiscal Year 2017 Budget can help address the everyday challenges of Americans living in poverty. Below is a transcript of his remarks and a link to the video:

Click here to watch the video.

“Mr. Speaker, the Democratic Whip Task Force on Poverty, Income Inequality and Opportunity was launched to bring to the forefront of Congress' attention the everyday challenges of Americans living in poverty.

“On Tuesday, the President sent us a budget that invests in meeting our greatest challenge: creating opportunity for all. An objective that all of us, I think, are committed to. The budget expands Pell Grants to make college more affordable and supports more apprenticeships and skills training, so that young people and others can make it in America. It doubles investment in clean energy and R&D to attract more jobs while tackling climate change. The President's budget expands access to quality child care and paid leave for working parents and provides children from low income families healthy meals over the summer months, when you're out of school. But still eating, of course. It makes it easier to save for retirement, provides a better backstop for when economic circumstances push careers off.

“Now, Mr. Speaker, it's up to Congress to craft a budget and I hope Republicans will work with us to provide the opportunities necessary to escape poverty as Speaker Ryan says we ought to do. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Chairwoman, Barbara Lee, and her members of the Task Force for undertaking and focusing on this important effort and I yield back.”