The following is a statement from Dr. Irwin Redlener, president and co-founder of Children’s Health Fund, following the State of the Union address by the President of the United States:
“The president made a strong case for universal early education in America, along with raising the minimum wage. But his commitment to eliminate extreme poverty and save children from preventable deaths was focused on children of the world. All of this is, of course laudable. But we hoped to hear a commitment to eliminate child poverty in America where more than 16 million children face challenges that undermine their futures – and the future economy of the nation. Poor kids are not a voting block and they don’t have the capacity to influence public policy. The sooner the President engages the full power of his office in the battle to eliminate child poverty, the better the prospects of every child reaching his or her potential.”