,,iv #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,,res4 #ajdh ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,july #af1 #bjbj,ms4 ,fudge 7for herself1 ,ms4 ,lee of ,california1 ,ms4 ,bass1 ,mr4 ,carson of ,indiana1 ,ms4 ,castor of ,florida1 ,mr4 ,cooper1 ,mr4 ,evans1 ,ms4 ,garcia of ,texas1 ,mr4 ,green of ,texas1 ,mr4 ,hastings1 ,ms4 ,johnson of ,texas1 ,mr4 ,kennedy1 ,ms4 ,norton1 ,mr4 ,payne1 ,mr4 ,rush1 ,ms4 ,schakowsky1 ,ms4 ,sewell of ,alabama1 ,ms4 ,velzquez1 and ,mrs4 ,beatty7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,oversight and ,reform ,,resolution ,expressing the sense of the ,house of ,representatives that the ,congress should enact the ,poverty ,bill of ,rights to reaffirm the right of all ,americans to live a life free from poverty and its impacts4 ,whereas according to the ,census ,bureau1 more than #ch1jjj1jjj people1 including #ab1jjj1jjj children1 lived in poverty in #bjah based on the ,official ,poverty ,measure2 ,whereas more than #ag1jjj1jjj people lived in deep poverty1 defined as living in a household with a total cash income below #ej percent of its poverty threshold2 ,whereas poverty disproportionately impacts communities of color1 with the poverty rate at #bj4h percent for ,blacks1 #ag4f percent for ,hispanics1 and #aj4a percent for ,asians1 versus #h4a percent for non-,hispanic ,whites2 ,whereas the ,official ,poverty ,measure often understates the number of people who have trouble making ends meet2 ,whereas according to a #bjbj ,federal ,reserve report on the economic well-being of ,united ,states households1 an estimated #cg percent of people cannot cover an unexpected #djj expense2 ,whereas the top one percent of ,united ,states households have experienced income growth before taxes and transfer payments nearly seven times faster than the bottom #bj percent of households since #aigi2 ,whereas wealth has become even more concentrated than income2 ,whereas according to the ,federal ,reserve ,bank of ,st4 ,louis1 the top #aj percent of ,united ,states households ranked by wealth own #gg percent of the country's total wealth while those in the bottom #ej percent own one percent2 ,whereas a full-time1 full-year minimum wage worker at the ,federal minimum wage level of #g4be lives below the poverty line2 ,whereas a vast majority of low wage earners lack access to paid family leave1 leaving them just one accident or illness away from economic devastation2 ,whereas unions increase workers' wages1 ensure access to better benefits1 address wage inequality1 and reduce poverty2 ,whereas #e1adj1jjj ,americans aged #fe and older lived in poverty in #bjah2 ,whereas according to the ,united ,states ,census ,bureau1 #bg1ejj1jjj people did not have health insurance at any point in #bjah2 ,whereas according to the ,federal ,reserve1 #be percent of adults reported skipping medical care1 such as a visit to a doctor or dentist1 because they were unable to afford the cost in #bjai2 ,whereas minority and low-income individuals are disproportionately affected by air pollution and are more likely to face health conditions that put them at greater risk when exposed to hazardous air pollution2 ,whereas families living in poverty also struggle to afford childcare1 housing1 utilities1 and food expenses2 ,whereas according to the ,united ,states ,census ,bureau1 households with incomes less than the ,federal poverty level who pay for childcare spend on average four times the percentage of their income on it as do other families2 ,whereas in #bjag1 #hc percent of renter households with incomes below #ae1jjj paid more than #cj percent of their total household income for housing1 experiencing housing costs burdens1 and #gb percent paid more than #ej percent of their income for housing1 experiencing severe cost burdens2 ,whereas water and wastewater bills are increasingly unaffordable for millions of households nationwide2 ,whereas according to the ,energy ,information ,administration1 nearly one-third of ,united ,states households reported facing a challenge in paying energy bills or sustaining adequate heating and cooling in their homes in #bjae2 ,whereas more than #bj1jjj1jjj ,americans lack access to any broadband whatsoever and many more are unable to adopt broadband1 primarily due to prohibitive costs2 ,whereas limited access to technology and broadband services makes it difficult for people to apply for jobs online1 connect with health insurance1 apply for financial aid1 telework1 or complete online homework2 ,whereas according to the ,department of ,agriculture1 #cg1bjj1jjj people1 including #aa1bjj1jjj children1 lived in food-insecure households in #bjah2 ,whereas #e1fjj1jjj households had very low food security1 defined as households in which the food intake of one or more members was reduced and eating patterns disrupted because of insufficient money and other resources for food2 ,whereas according to a #bjji ,department of ,agriculture report on access to affordable and nutritious food1 millions of people live in food deserts1 or areas where they are more than a mile from a supermarket2 ,whereas reliable and affordable public transportation is critical to accessing employment1 food1 health care1 and education2 ,whereas the educational level attained by individuals has a dramatic impact on poverty1 with #be4i percent of adults over #be years old without a high school diploma in poverty versus #ab4g percent for those with a high school degree1 but no college1 and #d4d percent for those with a college degree2 ,whereas according to the ,government ,accountability ,office1 socioeconomic and racial segregation in schools has increased dramatically in the past decade2 ,whereas low-income individuals are more likely to be targeted by child welfare services and the criminal justice system and live in communities with high rates of violence and heavy police presence2 ,whereas low-income parents have their children removed from the household every day1 because living in poverty is incorrectly treated as child neglect2 ,whereas the criminal justice system often punishes poverty1 as court fees and fines disproportionately impact the poor2 ,whereas police are most likely to use deadly force in low-income1 more highly segregated neighborhoods2 ,whereas low-income communities often have limited social capital and political voice2 ,whereas strict voter ,,id requirements1 closures of polling places1 limited access to alternatives to in-person voting and other voter suppression tactics disproportionately impact poor and minority ,americans2 ,whereas the effects of poverty are widespread1 long-lasting1 and dangerous1 and leave families vulnerable to unexpected events2 ,whereas adults who were poor during childhood are more likely to experience poverty as adults1 are less likely to graduate high school1 and are less likely to be consistently employed as young adults2 ,whereas lower incomes are associated with shorter life expectancies2 ,whereas the ,,covid-#ai pandemic threatens to increase health1 food1 housing1 and economic insecurity and push millions of people into poverty2 ,whereas low-income and minority communities have long experienced inadequate access to health care1 housing1 nutritious food1 and education and economic opportunity1 which increase the prevalence of ,,covid-#ai risk factors1 such as diabetes1 asthma1 heart disease1 and high blood pressure2 and ,whereas the ,,covid-#ai pandemic has exposed and exacerbated the inequality and poverty afflicting the ,united ,states1 as well as underlined the shortcomings of its social safety net programs3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that it is the sense of the ,house of ,representatives that the ,congress should enact the ,poverty ,bill of ,rights to reaffirm the right of all ,americans to live a life free from poverty and its impacts1 including the right to-- 7#a7 equal opportunity1 irrespective of race1 gender1 or socioeconomic status2 7#b7 working family tax credits1 such as the ,child ,tax ,credit and the ,earned ,income ,tax ,credit1 that are proven to lift families out of poverty1 free from onerous eligibility requirements2 7#c7 a livable wage that is enough to ensure adequate housing1 food1 clothing1 and other basic household needs2 7#d7 robust paid leave programs so they can care for themselves1 their families1 and dependents without fear of financial devastation2 7#e7 emergency financial assistance in times of unemployment2 7#f7 unionize to negotiate for higher wages1 better benefits1 and safe working conditions2 7#g7 financial security for themselves and their families during retirement years2 7#h7 quality1 affordable health care and prescription drugs2 7#i7 clean air through robust environmental and public health policies2 7#aj7 high-quality1 affordable1 and reliable childcare2 7#aa7 accessible1 affordable1 safe housing2 7#ab7 safe1 clean1 and affordable water and wastewater services2 7#ac7 affordable1 reliable energy service2 7#ad7 equitable access to technology and telephone and broadband services2 7#ae7 adequate access to affordable and nutritious foods2 7#af7 reliable1 efficient1 and affordable public transportation2 7#ag7 high-quality1 equitable ,pre,k-#ab public education2 7#ah7 safe public schools that promote racial and socioeconomic diversity2 7#ai7 access to affordable higher education1 registered apprenticeships1 and other vocational training opportunities2 7#bj7 live with their families and not be separated from each other on the basis of poverty2 7#ba7 safe neighborhoods1 where they are protected by law enforcement1 not targeted1 profiled1 harassed1 and brutalized2 7#bb7 equal treatment in criminal justice settings1 free from discrimination2 and 7#bc7 equal representation and participation in democracy through unfettered1 unabridged access to the ballot box1 accessible polling places1 and alternatives to traditional in-person voting1 such as early voting and voting by mail4