Washington, D.C. — Today, the U.S. Census Bureau released the 2012 poverty, income, and health data in the Current Population Survey, and CAP experts issued the following statements:
Neera Tanden, President and CEO of the Center for American Progress:
Today’s data underscore that it is time for Congress to pivot from a focus on austerity to an agenda emphasizing jobs and shared economic growth. Three years into the recovery, the share of families in poverty remains unchanged, median household incomes have not improved, and high levels of income inequality remain locked in place highlighting the urgency of investments in jobs and policies to boost wages.
I am heartened to see last year’s gains in health coverage holding steady thanks to the Affordable Care Act—today there are more insured Americans, which means better access to care, better preventive care, and lower costs for all Americans.
Melissa Boteach, Director, Poverty and Prosperity Program at the Center for American Progress:
Today’s data illustrate the folly of the cuts conservatives are trying to exact as they push the nation toward a government shutdown. At a time of elevated rates of child poverty, Congress is seeking to make further cuts to programs such as education, Head Start, and affordable housing. With nutrition assistance keeping 4 million people out of poverty in 2012, it is unconscionable that conservatives are spending this week threatening to cut vital food aid. With more than one in three Americans living in low-income households, conservative proposals to cut job-training programs that provide greater pathways to the middle class are dumbfounding.
These data should be a wake-up call that it is time to reset the national debate to focus on jobs and investments in family economic security.
To speak with CAP experts on this issue, please contact Madeline Meth at [email protected] or 202.741.6277.
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