Today, Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard marked the 50th Anniversary of the War on Poverty with the following statement:

President Johnson led the nation with key initiatives like Medicare, Medicaid, Head Start, Pell Grants, and nutrition assistance that have lifted millions of American families out of destitution and despair.

The War on Poverty and efforts that followed have helped move millions out of poverty – particularly America’s seniors. From 1967 to 2012, the percentage of seniors living in poverty fell from 26% to 16%.

But fifty years later, our nation’s fight to stamp out poverty remains unfinished.

Approximately 5 million Americans are expected to lose emergency unemployment benefits over the next 12 months, 836,100 in California alone.

Joblessness, homelessness and hunger continue to plague our communities.

Although there is much more to be done, we are making progress through initiatives like “When Women Succeed, America Succeeds,” which taps into the tremendous power of women in our nation, and by continuing the fight to restore emergency unemployment for the millions still looking for work.

Let’s seize the moment and rebuild hope. It is time to work together for the millions of Americans who struggle to make ends meet to ensure they have a fair shot at the American Dream.

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