The Census Bureau just released its latest data on poverty and income today, and our team has been hard at work analyzing what these numbers mean for women and families. Despite the slight upward tick in overall household income, the data confirms what we already knew to be true: women, especially women of color, are disproportionately likely to live in poverty. Female-headed households are nearly twice as likely to live in poverty than male-headed households, and women make up nearly two-thirds of the elderly poor. Why? The lifetime gender wage gap, their over-representation among low-paid workers, ongoing workplace discrimination, unpaid family caregiving responsibilities, and more.

Data like these should inspire our leaders to examine, expand, and improve upon what’s working for working families and to eliminate sources of inequality, like unfair pay and other forms of discrimination. And as we work to resolve the root causes of inequality, our leaders must fund public programs that help people maintain basic living standards when they’re struggling financially. Unfortunately, Republicans in Congress are planning to do the exact opposite — unless we stop them.

Tell your members of Congress
Reject new tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations, and the unconscionable budget cuts that would pay for them.

Public programs and services that help families keep a roof over their heads and food on the table are not only vital to ensuring that all of us can live with some measure dignity and security, they’re vital to our whole economy — because when working families have the supports they need, they can contribute more back into the local economy and businesses.

But instead of shoring up these vital programs and services, House Republicans are plotting to decimate them, all to make room for massive tax cuts for their wealthy peers and donors. This makes no moral, social, or economic sense.

Tell Congress to reject new tax cuts for the super-rich and to protect programs and services that protect working Americans’ quality of life.

Thanks for resisting attacks on women and families,
Anna Chu
Vice President for Income Security & Education
National Women’s Law Center

We the Resistance is our fight to protect our rights and freedoms and to defend the most vulnerable among us through powerful collective action. Every conversation you have with a loved one about the issues important to you, every call you make to Congress, every rally you attend is a part of that resistance. Join us — sign on to the We The Resistance manifesto.