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The first poverty statistics were released, 22.4% of the country was impoverished. -
Following the Civil Rights Act poverty in African-American communities went from 55.1% to 33.5% President Johnson declares the "War on Poverty" -
Welfare was not available for two-parent families.
Only 2 million people were using food stamps and the poverty rate was 17.3%. -
An amendment to the Food Stamp Act was passed declaring that food stamps could not cost more than 30% of a family's income, making food stamps more accessible and affordable. -
The historic low for poverty, 11.1% of the country was impoverished. President Nixon attempts to reduce welfare rolls by complicating the verification process. -
Dramatic cuts were made to the food stamp and welfare program. Cuts totaled $20 billion. -
Congress passes JOBS (Job Opportunities and Basic Skills) Act to provide assistance for the poor to transition out of poverty. -
$27 million in cuts were made to the food stamp program -
6 million people were added to the definition of being in poverty (pre- recession).
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9 million people were added to the definition of being in poverty (during and post-recession). Government assistance has kept 40 million people out of poverty, close to 20 million from Social Security alone.
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President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, an initiative to help fight poverty by increasing funding for low-income workers, the unemployed, and retirees (including job training) $82.2 billion. -
The poverty rate is 15.1%, with 46.2 million people in poverty, and 15 million of those are children.