Rep. Richmond Responds to Joint Economic Committee Report
Washington, DC – Rep. Richmond (LA-02) issued the following statement following the release of a report highlighting major, persistent economic challenges facing the African American community by the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee (JEC) in consultation with the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC):
“The cold hard facts in today’s report support the anecdotes we have heard for years and confirm that we are failing African-Americans throughout this country,” said Rep. Richmond. “The growing economic disparity facing the African-American community is not merely an economic crisis but a great moral emergency. There is much work to be done on the federal, state, and local levels that will require all hands on deck including elected officials, community leaders, business leaders, and candidates for office in order to curb this epidemic.”
“In Louisiana, African-Americans unemployment is more than double that of their white counterparts. Their household income is almost half. Over 30 percent of African-American families are living in poverty. African-American families throughout the state are working tirelessly to get ahead but cannot because the system is rigged against them.”
“There is a clear and immediate need for comprehensive action to open paths to the middle class and allow more families to experience the American dream. This report will inform the actions I take, along with my colleagues in the CBC, to address this crisis on the federal level. We must take a multifaceted approach that focuses on investing in and supporting minority-owned small businesses, reforming our broken criminal justice system, and increasing access to early childhood and post-secondary education and job training programs.”
“This report is proof that the conservative economic theories are counterproductive a rising tide does not lift all boats and economic prosperity does not trickle down. We must work to guarantee that if we all work hard, we all succeed.”
The full report can be found here.
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