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Bureau Reports an Increase in Poverty and Uninsured
As the debate continues over the economic benefits of President Bush's income tax cuts, a new report from the United States Census Bureau reveals that more Americans are living in poverty, more are lacking health insurance, and the gap between the wealthiest households and the poorest households continues to grow. 1.3 MILLION MORE AMERICANS IN POVERTY — According to the Census Bureau's report Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2003, from 2002 to 2003 the number of Americans living in poverty increased from 34.5 million to 35.8 million, an increase of 1.3 million people. The rise in poverty was most dramatic for children, those under the age of 18. In 2003, there were 800,000 more children living in poverty than in 2002. The definition of poverty used by the Census Bureau varies by the size of the household. For example, the poverty threshold for a family of four was $18,810 and the poverty threshold for two people was $12,015. 1.4 MILLION MORE AMERICANS LACK HEALTH INSURANCE — The Census Bureau also reported that the number of people lacking health insurance rose from 43.5 million in 2002 to nearly 45 million in 2003, an increase of 1.4 million people. This was the third consecutive year of increases in both poverty and the number of uninsured.
Comparing individual states using a three-year average of uninsured, Texas lead the nation with the largest percentage of those lacking health insurance coverage — 24.6%. New York's percentage of uninsured was 15.5%, which was just slightly higher than the nationwide average of 15.1%. GROWING GAP BETWEEN RICH AND POOR HOUSEHOLDS — The Census Bureau report also cited the continuing trend in income inequality. In 2003, the mean household income of the highest quintile increased to $147,078, while the mean household income of the lowest quintile dropped to $9,996. The following chart displays the growing gap between the wealthiest and the poorest households.
PRESIDENT BUSH'S TAX CUTS FAVOR WEALTHIEST — As the ranks of the poor and uninsured continued to grow in 2003, a report from the Citizens for Tax Justice, a nonpartisan research and advocacy organization, reveals that in 2003, the wealthiest Americans benefited the most from President Bush's tax cuts. For example, in 2003, the top one percent of New Yorkers with an average income of $1,433,000 received an average tax cut of $81,308, while the lowest 20% of New Yorkers with an average income of $9,000 received an average tax cut of just $72.
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