What is life like for millions of people in the US who are working—sometimes at two jobs—but still can’t earn enough to meet their families’ basic needs?
Some members of Congress heard firsthand last year. The Trump administration was seeking to change the way poverty was indexed, using a technicality that would reduce not poverty itself, but the numbers the government reported, and thus the appearance of poverty.
In public hearings, a subcommittee of the House of Representatives Oversight Committee heard testimony from Amy Jo Hutchison, a lifelong West Virginian who’s a single mom with two teenage daughters. She’s also a community organizer who advocates “for poor and marginalized folks.”
Hutchison exhorted the legislators to understand that even the existing poverty calculation line was severely out of sync with the actual experiences of the working poor.
I hope you’ll view the video of Hutchison’s testimony and/or read the transcript below.
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“Hi. My name is Amy Jo Hutchison. I’m a single mom of two who’s lived in WV all my life. I’m also a community organizer for WV Healthy Kids and Families/Our Future WV, where I organize and advocate for poor and marginalized folks.
“Today, I’m here to help you better understand poverty, because poverty is my lived experience, and to acknowledge the biased beliefs that poor people are lazy and that poverty is their fault, but how do I make you understand things like working full-time for $10/hr is only $19,000 a year even though it’s well above the federal minimum wage of $7.25?
“I want to tell you about a single mom I met who was working at a gas station. She was promoted to manager and within 30 days had to report her new income to DHHR [Department of Health and Human Resources]. Within 60 days, her rent jumped from $475-$950 a month. She lost her SNAP [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly called food stamps] benefits, and her family’s health insurance was gone.
“So she did what poor people are forced to do all the time: she resigned her promotion and went back to working part-time just so she and her family could survive.
“Another single mom encouraged her kids to get jobs. For her DHHR review, she had to claim their income as well. She lost her SNAP benefits and insurance, so she weaned herself off of her blood pressure meds because she, working full-time at a bank and part-time at a shop on the weekends, couldn’t afford to buy them.
“Eventually, the girls quit their jobs because their part-time fast food income was killing their mom.
“See, the thing is, children aren’t going to escape poverty as long as they’re relying on a Head of Household who is poor. Poverty rolls off the back of parents and right onto the shoulders of our kids despite how hard we try.
“I can tell you about food insecurity and the nights I went to bed hungry so my kids could have seconds—while I was employed as a Head Start teacher.
“I can tell you about being above the poverty line and nursing your gallbladder with essential oils and prayer, about chewing on cloves and eating ibuprofen like TicTacs for toothaches because you don’t have health insurance and can’t afford a dentist.
“I have 2 jobs and a Bachelor’s Degree and struggle to make ends meet. The Federal Poverty Guidelines say that I’m not poor, but I cashed in a jar full of change the other day so my daughter could attend a music competition with her school band.
“I can’t go grocery shopping without a calculator. I had to decide which bills to not pay so I could make this trip. Believe me, I’ve pulled myself up by the bootstraps so many times that I’ve ripped the damn things off!
“The current poverty guidelines are ridiculously out of touch. The poverty line for a family of 3 is $21,720. Where I live, because of the oil and gas boom, a 3 bdrm home rents for $1200 a month, so if I made $22,000, which could disqualify me from assistance, I would have $8000/yr left to raise 2 kids on. And yet the poverty guidelines wouldn’t classify me as poor.
“I Googled ‘Congressman’s salary’ the other day, and, according to Senate.gov, the salary for senators, representatives, and delegates is $174,000 a year. A year of work for you is the equivalent of nearly 4 years of work for me, and I’m about $24,000 above Federal Poverty Guidelines of ‘poor.’ It would take 9 people working full-time for a year at $10/hr. to match your salary.
“I also read that ‘Each Senator is authorized $40,000 for state office furniture and furnishings and this amount is increased each year to reflect inflation.’ That $40,000 a year for furniture is $360 MORE than the Federal Poverty Guidelines for a family of seven.
“And yet here I am, begging you on behalf of the 15 MILLION children living in poverty across the U.S., on behalf of 1 in 3 kids under the age of 5 and the nearly 100,000 kids living in poverty in WV, to not change anything about the Federal Poverty Guidelines until you make them relevant and reflect what poverty really looks like today. You have a $40,000 furniture allotment… WV has a median income of $43,000 and some change.
“People are working full-time and are hungry…kids are about to be kicked off of the free and reduced lunch roles…62% of WV SNAP recipients are families with children…children who can’t get jobs because their parents will die without health insurance.
“People are working full-time for very little money. They’re not poor enough to receive help and don’t make enough to get by.
“They’re working while they’re rationing insulin and skipping meds because they can’t afford food and health care. Shame on you. Shame on you and shame on me. And shame on every one of us for not rattling the windows with cries of outrage at a government that thinks its offices are worthy of $40,000 a year but families and children aren’t!
“I’m not asking you to apologize for your privilege, but I am asking you to see past it. There are 46 million Americans living in poverty, doing the best they know how with what they have, and we, in defense of children and families, cannot accept anything less from our government. Thank you.”
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Hutchison’s riveting testimony was met with heavy applause. The Subcommittee Chair, Rep. Gerald Connolly (D., VA) said after she’d concluded: “I think we just heard why these hearings are important.”
Since she delivered this testimony, Hutchison has begun an organization called “Rattle the Windows,” which encourages poor people to provide their stories and advocates in their behalf.
From the website:
“#RattleTheWindows
is a grassroots movement built from the ground up. It’s a space where poor and marginalized folks are the experts, the leaders, who come together to work toward economic justice and equity in our local communities, our state, and our country. We’re organizing to make West Virginia a state built on an infrastructure of care that is focused on our values and our families. We’re turning our pain into power.”
Hutchison is an artful proponent for her cause. I’d like to see the Democrats enlist her as a national spokesperson for the need for much of the Build Back Better legislation that her US Senator, Joe Manchin, has just kiboshed—at least he’s done so for now, in its present form.
It’s worth noting that the benefits of this “human infrastructure” legislation would be felt by a large swath of Americans beyond the 46 million living below the poverty level whom she cited last year.
I saw a snippet of Hutchison, who has personally gained recognition since her 2020 testimony, on Jon Stewart’s new Apple TV show. She shared a panel discussion with Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a Republican economist.
When she observed that the yearly cost of child care in West Virginia is higher than a year of college in the state, Holtz-Eakin noted that affordable child care is also the “leading issue for women” in “solidly Republican districts.”
Hutchison responded: “It shouldn’t be a political issue.”
Indeed, it shouldn’t. We all benefit when we can rely on a stable work force, when children are better fed and educated, and when the extreme stresses of everyday living don’t manifest themselves in the poorer health of individuals and communities.
The engaging Hutchison is clearly reveling in her newfound public persona. In a delightful piece titled “Written All Over My Face,” she writes about the experience of being on Jon Stewart’s show and keeping her appearance a secret until it was announced (hence one aspect of the title of her piece).
She also details her years of hardship, and concludes with the great irony that the attention she’s attracted since her testimony has led to income security for the first time.
“I’ve never known stability in my last 49 years of life until recently, and that came about by being…wait for it…the face of poverty.”
She adds:
“I’m awkward and OK with the elevated profile to fight poverty. Hopefully, I’ll inspire you to believe you were born for much greater than poverty, too, even if that’s all you see when you look at your face.”
Hutchison and Rattle the Windows are now urging West Virginians to call Manchin and pressure him to support Build Back Better. Child care, family leave, and the child tax credit are the organization’s three current campaigns—all components of the legislation their Senator said he “can’t” support.
The child tax credit has already proven its worth. It’s led to one of the most extraordinary results of the American Rescue Plan passed earlier this year–reducing the number of US children living in poverty by nearly half.
Most Western countries have long supported families with such a credit, and many proponents in the US have sought to see it become law for years, especially as income disparities have dramatically increased over the past several decades.
But this sensible, humane legislation is ending, and the encouraging trend will be reversed unless Congress passes the legislation to continue it. The last monthly payments were made in December.
I don’t know if there’s any way to change Senator Manchin’s mind. But among his West Virginia constituents is a very effective advocate for people whose lives can be most dramatically improved by the kind of governmental support that more influential sectors of our society have received for years.
Amy Jo Hutchison is a woman to watch—with gratitude for her hard work.
Annie
Note: I learned about Hutchison from Robert Hubbell’s “Today’s Edition” newsletter.
annieasksyou... 
She seems so great. I especially loved the (paraphrased) line about “not apologizing for privilege but seeing beyond it.” How brilliant is that? Phrased so that it can be heard while at the same time highlights the economic truths she’s trying to convey. More power to her — and thanks for putting her on my radar.
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You’re very welcome, Denise. I especially liked that phrase too. I’m excited about her potential; she’s been asked to run for Congress and said she’s been thinking about it.
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Not only are representatives paid $174,000 annually, but it is very light work, part-time work with little or no supervision. I don’t object to the pay, but I think they ought to meet some objectives to deserve it..
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They also get fantastic healthcare coverage, so no worries about paying for any medical issues.
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True enough, Gail. And many of them want to see all Americans get good healthcare too. The BBB Act had substantial funding for health care, including a reduction in the cost for insulin.
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I don’t know if I’d agree with a blanket statement about the “very light work,” whungerford. There seem to be many working very hard. Certainly, the Select Committee investigating January 6 is putting in vast amounts of time.
And with the personal threats and menacing behaviors of the likes of Boebert, Taylor-Greene, Gosar, and their ilk, I wonder why anyone would want to serve in such a hostile environment.
I’m with you about their meeting some objectives, but that’s something we need their constituents to decide—preferably based on some knowledge of the Representative’s actions and voting records(!).
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Light work could mean no more than “no heavy lifting.” No doubt many legislators take their responsibilities seriously. Others may work at little besides fundraising. Ideally, responsible legislators would be rewarded with reelection, and the others turned out. Sadly, this isn’t how it works in practice.
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There is so much inequity in our country, and in so many other countries. Economically, racially, etc., etc. Keeping their heads above water for millions and millions (maybe billions) of people is daunting. The needle sometimes moves in good directions, but it takes a lot of effort for that to occur.
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So true, Neil. But we’ve come really close to substantive change with the Build Back Better bill. It has taken a lot of effort. I think persuasive advocates like Amy Jo Hutchinson may, just may, make a difference.
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Not even one Republican senator has the guts or common sense or decency to vote for this bill.
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True, Neil. I was hoping for Murkowski…
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It’s beyond ironic that so many Americans are paid poorly for full time work. Taking a second job sometimes helps, but that often means paying more money to babysitters and/or having little time to enjoy life’s pleasures. Kudos to Amy Jo Hutchison for doing what she can to put these issues front and center. Here’s hoping her efforts result in a higher minimum wage and increased access to healthcare.
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Right, Gail—and to affordable childcare, a child tax credit, universal pre-K…
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Putting a face and real life stories on poverty is a compelling strategy for educating elected officials about poverty. But we have a long way to go in this nation to combat stereotypes about those who are poor!!
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Agreed, Dennis. One would hope that the dreadful toll of Covid, which pushed many into poverty and income insecurity for the first time, would help us build a coalition that sees the virtues of a government-provided safety net instead of fueling cries of “socialism” or “communism.”
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In line with the new NEW York mayor stating he would not even listen to anybody about Police policy/Reform who is not either an active duty cop or a retired one so should any one he talks to about poverty be from those who know it best.
No more economists or think tanks about best way to address poverty poor people only.
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anynameleft: If you are suggesting that the description of the “Shake the Windows” organization means substituting the views of poor people for the experts, I don’t think that’s true. It’s meant to elevate the voices of poor people and empower them to try to demand changes. But I’ve seen nothing to suggest ignoring scholarly research.
In the segment on Jon Stewart’s show, when Hutchison responds to Douglas-Eakin that affordable childcare shouldn’t be a political issue, she cites Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to point out the common sense understanding of the connections between childcare and working. Stewart got so excited by her reference that I found his comical response condescending, but I can’t see Hutchison taking a nihilistic approach to knowledgeable people. She might disagree, or she might enrich their perspectives, but I don’t think she’s anti-expert.
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What I mean is no onger listening to “experts” living large on wingnut welfare at places like the heritage foundation testifying in $5,000 suits that were a gift from daddy’s estate telling lawmakers how the poor are only poor because they are irresponsible, ignorant and lazy while waiting to cash their trust fund check at the bank.
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Got it. I misunderstood.
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Annie, well said. Thanks for sharing her testimony. She is dead on accurate in my view, based on my experience volunteering to help working homeless families. All it took for the family to become homeless was an event – loss of one of the jobs, fewer hours, healthcare issue, rising rent, car problem or an abusive spouse. About 1/3 of our clients are escaping an abusive partner, so they lost 1/2 their income while having the PTSD remnants from the abuse.
There is a great book called “The Rich and the Rest of Us” by Cornel West and Tavis Smiley. They offer a definition that is important. “Poverty” is not due to the lack of piety; it is the absence of money.” The people we help are very pious, even more so than the church volunteers. They also have multiple jobs, so they work hard. They just don’t have enough money to pay the rent.
Thanks again, Keith
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Thank you, Keith. This is a most helpful response, and I appreciate the book reference and its definition of poverty. You’ve clearly been doing fine work—with an open mind and heart.
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Many thanks. There is another short read called “Toxic Charity” by Bob Lupton which gives a good idea of a better way to help people. Take care, Keith
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Thanks again, Keith.
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That was incredible. Thanks Annie.
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Thank you, Susie. She’s quite a woman—a great advocate.
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I don’t entirely disagree, whungerford. I just feel the need for qualifiers. There are many legislators going far beyond cashing a paycheck. I think it’s damn hard for dedicated House members even to show up for work every day. The internal climate is vicious, and the threats from outside continue.
The need for fundraising is another important discussion beyond our scope here. It’s yet another flaw in our system that requires correction. I guarantee you there are few, if any, who want to spend their time fundraising.
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Howdy y’all!
Affordable childcare shouldn’t be a political issue nor should be a woman’s issue. It should be an issue that concerns us all since we would all benefit from it. Likewise for the child tax credit. Joe Manchin is living testimony to definition of conservative, someone somewhere is getting away with something they ought not to.
Huzzah!
Jack
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I couldn’t agree more with your comments about the widespread societal benefits of affordable childcare and the child tax credit; I think the entire BBB proposal is wise and necessary. And time is running out on climate change, as we see with our own eyes in dramatic “once in a lifetime events.” Manchin is, well, Manchin. I wish Democrats and Independents were as fired up as the anti-democracy forces are. We need larger majorities!
Thanks for visiting and commenting. Huzzah to you too, Jack!
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Howdy Annie!
I am amazed at how vulnerable the majority of white people are to dog whistle racial rhetoric. It just astonishes me and makes me despair about our future.
Huzzah!
Jack
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There seems to be a similar disconnect over here in the UK, Annie. I was frustrated with the Owen Paterson lobbying/second job scandal, and the idea of syphoning time off your job as a member of parliament to earn hundreds of thousands on the side is one so alien to the vast majority of people that it leaves a sour taste in one’s mouth. Some of the poverty endemic in our society is truly shocking. I really hope Biden’s bill passes as it appears to be a genuinely bold piece of legislation and social policy.
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Thanks, Matthew. I do think Biden’s bill would have a large positive impact; that’s why the moneyed lobbyists are fighting it so hard.
It would be nice to see an emerging consensus in many countries for leadership committed to ethical government, equitable taxation, concern about poverty and disease, and cooperation on climate change. One can hope/dream…
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Wouldn’t that be nice. They could do a lot worse than reading your blog!
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👍🙏
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CalicoJack—
I hope they’re not the majority.We have to find ways to reach these people.
I think building coalitions around issues affecting them, such as affordable child care, may help. Thank you for reblogging!
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