August 30, 2005

Reid: More Must Be Done to Lift Incomes and Provide Health Insurance for All Americans

Democratic Leader Harry Reid released the following statement on the Census numbers released today:

(WASHINGTON, DC) “I am greatly disappointed to see that once again millions of Americans have gone without health insurance and incomes have failed to rise. What’s even more frustrating is that the Republican Congress has done nothing to address these crises. With 46 million Americans without health coverage, incomes continuing to fall and over a million more in poverty, millions of working Americans are facing difficult economic times and are tired of seeing the Republican Congress pursuing partisan interests over their own.

“Even more troubling is that just as the President and his Republican colleagues on Capitol Hill are trying to slash Medicaid, today’s report demonstrates that fewer Americans can rely on employer-based health care coverage and Medicaid is growing in importance for millions of working Americans. We should be working to address the rising cost of health care, not cutting the bottom out from under our families.

“I believe we can and must do better. Senate Democrats have been working to focus the Congress’s attention on the urgent needs of working Americans to make quality health care more affordable and more available and to create new high-quality, high-paying jobs. We must do more to address the real concerns of American families and to ensure that all working Americans are able to provide for their own. I hope that in the coming weeks, my Republican colleagues will join us to address these urgent needs.”

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WORKING AMERICANS CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE

46 Million Americans Go Uninsured. According to today’s Census Bureau’s numbers, nearly 46 million Americans went without health insurance coverage last year. This is an increase of over 850,000 from last year and over six million since President Bush took office. [Census Bureau]

Over One Million More Americans in Poverty. According to today’s Census Bureau’s numbers, over one million more Americans were in poverty last year. The poverty rate increased from 12.5% to 12.7% just last year. When the President Bush took office the rate stood at 11.3% and since then, over five million more Americans have fallen into poverty. [Census Bureau]

Incomes Continue to Fall. According to today’s Census Bureau’s numbers, median household income continued to remain stagnant last year with median household income dipping from $44,482 to $44,389. This decrease follows steady decreases since Bush took office, with income having dropped from $46,058 in 2000, a $1,669 decrease. [Census Bureau]

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