Horsford Calls For Congress To Act On Rising Inequality
Today, Representative Steven Horsford (NV-4) gave the following remarks at the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) during a policy briefing entitled, "Responding to Rising Inequality: Policy Interventions That Ensure Opportunity for All," hosted by the Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society:
"Thank you and good morning, it's a pleasure to be with all of you here today, and to join my colleague, a true champion for working people, and those who are aspiring to be a part of the middle class, Congresswoman Barbara Lee. She has been such a role model to me as new Member of Congress, and actually before I ever came to Congress, because of her work in the non-profit sector, and social work, and helping to actually impact lives.
"I personally want to commend and thank John A. Powell, for your work on race, class, and opportunity in America, and I'm grateful that he and his colleagues are embarking on an effort to bring their brilliant research from the halls of academia to policy makers across the country.
"We have a problem in America. And that problem is the toxic mix of extreme economic inequality and an era of great wealth. As the Haas Institute's policy brief states: "The rise in inequality and its effects on economic mobility are defining issues for America's future. There is no silver bullet for inequality. Many things need to change. First and foremost, Congress needs to step up to the plate. And while we have many policy recommendations and we have proposed legislation from those of us who understand the problem, there is a partisan divide that runs parallel to the gap between the ultra-wealthy and the poor.
"There are some Members of Congress who think inequality isn't an issue; that it is the result of the difference between laziness and hard work; that in the richest country in the world even the poor must be doing just fine. They confuse equality of outcome with equality of opportunity, and cry "overreach' at any attempt to help those barely getting by.
"But public officials who turn a blind eye to eroding economic mobility are condoning the decline of the American Dream. They are tacitly accepting that the premise we built this country on, that if you work hard and play by the rules you can get ahead, no longer applies. Across the country, there are people who, through no fault of their own, have lost a job and can't pay the bills.
"Sadly, it is a daily battle, trying to get Members of Congress to understand that there is a real world beyond the legislative echo chamber and the daily political infighting. There is a real world where people, their constituents, are struggling. Often, from the House Republicans who do propose solutions, we hear about block grants and throwback policies have no place in the future. That many states maintained inconsistent and unfair rules, that racial discrimination abounded, that people were not well served prior to federal expansion of poverty relief with President Johnson's War on Poverty, is something they easily forget.
"Let's be clear: although devolution may fit within Republican orthodoxy, it is not a substantive solution to help those struggling to put food on the table and a roof over their heads during economic downturns. And, when I hear my colleagues from the other side of the aisle arguing for tax cuts for corporations in one breath and cuts to social programs in the next, I really wonder what planet they are living on. Why we would subsidize the rich and pull the rug out from under the poor is beyond me, and research has shown that Reagan era trickle-down economics has never worked, and the politics of tax-relief-at-the-expense-of-all-other-priorities has proven bankrupt.
"Those social programs that are so often targets for the right are sometimes the last resort of support for the poor. And let me share something about why this matters to me personally. When I was a young man, I lost my father to a gun shot. My mother overcame being addicted to drugs. My grandmother suffered a stroke when I was just nine weeks old and required around-the-clock care. Since I was a young boy, I visited my grandmother in a nursing home every week for nearly 27 years until she passed away. I became the head of my household at a very young age, and at a time when I thought everything was falling apart, I was terrified.
"I knew that the deck was stacked against me, but it was only later in life that I saw how dire my situation truly was. I'm a poor kid who grew up in West Las Vegas who had lost my dad, who was in the process, I thought, of losing my mother; she's now clean and sober going on twenty years. Who had no one to look out for him, or at least I thought. I thought I was going to become a statistic. You may have heard the words, "food stamp challenge,' where Members of Congress live on SNAP benefits for a week. Well, at one point in my life, I lived that challenge for real. But those benefits put food on the table for me, my brother, and my two sisters.
"My grandmother; I did not understand this until later in life, but the only reason that she was able to get the medical care she did in that nursing home for 27 years, was because of the disability programs under Social Security that are required. And while moving from nursing home to nursing home was hard, we had some support. And as I said my mom is now clean and sober and back on track thanks to intervention and community-based programs. I made it because people gave me a hand up when I needed it most, when they didn't even know me, when they could have turned away.
"So I come here today not as a defender of the federal government or every federal agency, but as a defender of the programs that improve the lives of millions of Americans every day. I am a defender of public programs that work; the types of programs discussed in this report. We can improve government, but one thing's for certain: there is no justification for adding to administrative costs and reducing safety net services for those who need it most by ceding federal poverty money and authority to the states.
"And our recent local, state, and national tax coffers were laid bare by the Great Recession, a situation exacerbated by decades of tax breaks that made it even more difficult for state governments to weather the economic storm. So, the first step Congress needs to take is to admit that there is a problem. This report states that problem loud, clear, and certain. The national income received by the top 1 percent of U.S. residents has more than doubled over the last thirty years while the share of national income held by the 60 percent of the population with the lowest incomes has declined by 19 percent since 1970.
"As they point out, this inequality is not the inevitable side effect of capitalism. So curbing inequality is not a detriment to our economy. Public policy can help to reduce inequality and address poverty without slowing U.S. economic growth. In fact, their research showing the positive benefits of an increased minimum wage and Earned Income Tax Credit for low-income families gives us the evidence we need to prove that these income-enhancing policies do not stunt economic development or employment. Their focus on asset building, investments in education, tax reform, and integrated neighborhoods and schools demonstrate the interconnectivity between housing, education, tax policy, wealth, and opportunity and point us in the right direction regarding the type of comprehensive policy approaches that will be needed to reverse extreme inequality in America.
"The concerted efforts of those pushing a public policy agenda that favors the rich at the expense of everyone else has brought us to our current sorry state. It will take enlightened public policy to lead us toward an economic and social future that is more equitable, more diverse, and more inclusive of all families. I stand here today because of programs that helped me. I didn't slip through the cracks. It was a good combination of perseverance and a whole lot of blessings. One misstep along the way and I wouldn't be standing before you. Things out of my control could have derailed my life. That's a reality. And there are millions that share my story who are not nearly as fortunate as I am who are all still struggling today. It's time for Congress to wake up, and recognize that reality.
"And I want to thank all of you for being here and doing what you do to push us to fulfill the purpose that this Congress should be living up to. Thank you very much for allowing me to be here today."
Source