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Ending Poverty & Expanding Opportunity

House Democrats strongly support policies that lift Americans out of poverty and provide them with opportunities to join the middle class.

By raising the minimum wage, supporting affordable housing, preserving critical nutritional assistance programs, increasing access to high-quality health care and education, protecting Social Security, and continuing efforts to create well-paying jobs here at home, Democratic policies ensure more American families will have the resources and opportunities they need to attain the American Dream. Through the Inflation Reduction Act, landmark legislation to reduce health care costs for millions, Democrats are working to expand access to quality, affordable health care coverage and put money back in the pockets of working Americans. In 2013, Leader Hoyer launched the Majority Leader Task Force on Poverty and Opportunity, which works to raise awareness among Members of Congress and the American people about the ongoing crisis of poverty, the positive human and economic impacts of effective poverty alleviation programs, and the need for a comprehensive national effort to eradicate poverty. The Task Force, which is chaired by Congresswoman Barbara Lee, meets frequently with key stakeholders, advocates, and Administration officials to identify root causes of poverty and support strategies and initiatives aimed at eliminating poverty. As our nation continues to confront the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, House Democrats will continue to work with President Biden to ensure that our public health and economic policies promote equity in access to economic relief and that our recovery addresses long-standing challenges in the fight against poverty.


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Our Task Force was honored to have Mr. King join us today to speak about his father’s legacy and his own work to carry that legacy forward.

I thank Secretary Castro for joining the Task force today to discuss how HUD is working to expand access to housing, help more Americans attain homeownership, and alleviate poverty in our communities.

In the report, CBO analyzed three different proposals to reduce aggregate SNAP spending by 15%.