AFT President Randi Weingarten on Census Poverty Data

WASHINGTON—American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement:

“This data makes real the lived experience of far too many people in President Trump’s America. Contrary to his boast about the ‘best-ever’ economy, 3 in 10 adults can’t count on regular income from month to month and more than a quarter can’t afford a $400 emergency. By sabotaging the Affordable Care Act, the Trump administration has left more people uninsured for the first time in nearly a decade, and has used that money to give pharmaceutical companies and other big corporations a $1.9 trillion tax giveaway. 

“Despite our best efforts to fight for more investment in programs that help working people, this White House does the opposite, such as cutting Medicaid and taking money out of food assistance programs that help kids get lunch at school. At the same time, Trump furthers the social, ethnic and racial divides that haunt our communities. Our government should make it easier, not harder, for people to get ahead.”