Obama Statement on 2006 Poverty Numbers

Chicago, IL -- Senator Barack Obama made the following statement today in response to the Census 2006 poverty numbers.

"In the richest nation on Earth, it is a moral outrage that one in ten American families live in poverty and 47 million Americans do not have health care. We can keep making excuses for this or ignore it altogether, but as long as these statistics exist they will always be a betrayal of the ideals we hold as Americans. We deserve better than leaders who slash anti-poverty supports and threaten to deny children health insurance at a time when 8.7 million don't have any.

In this country - of all countries - no child's destiny should be determined before he takes his first step. No single mother should have to work two jobs and still be unable to afford child care or the rent. Our government cannot guarantee success and happiness in life, but what we can do as a nation is to ensure that every American who wants to work is able to find a job, able to afford health care, and able to stay out of poverty. What we can do is retire the phrase "working poor" in our time. That's what we can do, and that's what we will do together when I am President of the United States."