BALTIMORE, MD– Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-5) today delivered remarks at a public forum on reducing economic inequality in Baltimore. The “United not Divided: Economic Inequality and Opportunity Gap” forum is a two-day event organized by the Center for the Study of Democracy at St. Mary’s College of Maryland and the National Center on Institutions and Alternatives (NCIA). Below are his remarks as prepared for delivery:

“Thank you, Dr. Dougherty.

“I’m honored to be participating in this forum, and I want to thank St. Mary’s College of Maryland, its Center for the Study of Democracy, the National Center on Institutions and Alternatives, and the St. Mary’s Arts Council for organizing it.

“As a trustee for St. Mary’s College, I’m very happy to see how engaged the College and the Center for the Study of Democracy have been in contributing to the dialogue on key social and political issues facing the city of Baltimore.

“Economic inequality and the opportunity gap have emerged as one of the most salient issues of the 2016 election.

“And it’s very fitting that this is the case, because a widening of inequality in wealth, income, and opportunity poses a serious threat to the long term success of our nation to live up to its founding mission.

“And that mission has always been to enable each and every individual to work hard and build a better life for himself or herself and for the next generation.

“We call it the American Dream.

“But for a growing share of our population, that dream is falling farther and farther out of reach.

“Baltimore has been a prime example of this challenge, and it’s very appropriate that this forum is being held here.

“In recent years, as Americans have worked to emerge from the great recession and the bursting of the housing bubble, some parts of the city have flourished as those who had the resources to do so invested in new development and new businesses.

“Some Baltimore neighborhoods have been a shining example of the kind of economic recovery and revitalization that my colleagues and I in Congress have been striving to replicate across the country.

“But for many other parts of the city, it’s as though the recession never ended.

"And this is happening in cities across the country.

“Detroit is another example, where some urban neighborhoods are thriving with new shops, restaurants, and housing – while others are doing very poorly, with high rates of poverty.

“Addressing this challenge was one of the driving factors behind my creation of the Democratic Whip Task Force on Poverty, Income Inequality, and Opportunity in 2013.

“It is chaired by Congresswoman Barbara Lee, a former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, and the Task Force has been leading the effort to ensure that Congress does not ignore the need for action on these issues.

“Among the policies that our Task Force has promoted are those that help low-income individuals and families access opportunities that help them move into the middle class.

“They include raising the minimum wage, making child care more affordable, enacting paid family and medical leave, and investing in public education so that children can learn in safe schools and graduate well-prepared for college and careers.

“I’ve been working with my colleagues in the Maryland Congressional Delegation to attract businesses to our state that create jobs that pay well and open doors to opportunity.

“It’s not a quick process, nor is it an easy one.

“But it is one we must keep working on for as long as it takes.

“Since his election, House Speaker Paul Ryan has been very outspoken about the need to combat poverty.

“However, we have yet to see actions that match his words.

“Our Task Force has been calling on him to bring his Republicans together with Democrats to act on some of our Task Force’s proposals, including ones where we can find common ground.

“One example is expanding the earned income tax credit to childless adults and setting the eligibility age at 21, which would help those living in poverty save more.

“Most important, though, would be if the Speaker would end House Republicans’ practice of introducing budgets that disinvest in anti-poverty programs and weaken the federal government’s ability to support access to opportunity.

“Making jobs and opportunity more accessible to every American has been the basis for House Democrats’ Make it In America plan, which I’ve been proud to lead in Congress.

“When we launched our plan in 2010, its focus was mainly on revitalizing our manufacturing sector and bringing back its high-wage, high-skill jobs.

“Since then, our economy has changed in profound ways.

“Because of new technologies and changes to the global economy, workers and the businesses that create jobs are facing new challenges.

“Yet, there are also opportunities like never before.

“That’s why we’re in the process of updating and broadening the Make It In America plan to reflect the economy of 2016 and beyond.

“We’re focused now on finding ways to make sure everyone has the tools necessary to compete and succeed in the 21^st century economy.

“Over the coming months, we’re going to continue putting forward policy proposals that will not only help more of our people make it in America but also renew their faith in our government to help them do so – that Congress will be on their side when they need it, not telling them that they’re on their own to face an uncertain future.

“We believe that the best way to reduce inequality of income and wealth is to eliminate inequality of access to opportunity.

“Part of any effort to reduce inequality is strengthening our education system.

“The best way to root out inequality is to do so from the earliest ages.

“That’s why I’ve been a strong proponent of full-service community schools, which are proven to help close the achievement gap by enabling low-income children and their parents to access a range of social services all in one place.

“When children are malnourished or having health and dental problems, or when their parents are struggling to find work or balance the checkbook, it’s harder to learn.

That’s why Maryland launched our network of ‘Judith P. Hoyer Early Child Care and Family Education Centers – or ‘Judy Centers’ – all across the state, named for my wife, who dedicated her career to closing the achievement gap.

“I pushed hard to include legislation encouraging the adoption of the full-service community schools model into the recent ‘Every Student Succeeds Act,’ because here in Maryland we’re showing how successful these schools are at preparing our youngest students to do well when they begin elementary school.

“And I’m going to keep working with advocates, educators, and my colleagues from Maryland and elsewhere to make sure that every child has an equal shot at growing up to achieve the American Dream – and that everyone in our country can still believe in that dream. 

“I look forward to working with many of you here today to build on what we’ve achieved thus far, and I thank you for your participation in this forum and your engagement in the effort ensure equal access to opportunity in Baltimore, in Maryland, and across America.”