CHC ON THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE WAR ON POVERTY

Washington, DC- Today, Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Chairman Rubén Hinojosa (TX-15) released the following statement in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s "War on Poverty."

"On this day 50 years ago, President Lyndon B. Johnson declared a 'War on Poverty' so that every American would have the chance at a more stable and prosperous future. Today, our country has made progress but there is still much work ahead of us and there are many Americans who urgently need our help.

There are 1.3 million Americans who lost their unemployment benefits last month.

Over 3 million seniors 65 or older live in poverty.

And in the Latino community, there were 5.9 million children living in poverty in 2012.

On this 50th Anniversary, let us recommit ourselves to fight for our fellow Americans. Everyone in our country deserves a fair shot at the American Dream and the struggle for income inequality and wealth distribution is more important than ever before."