"We've got some 37-million of our fellow citizens who are living in poverty; about 12-million or 13-million are children."
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Poverty numbers are right
Sen. Chris Dodd must have had the U.S. Census Bureau's 2005 report in his notes, because he quotes it very precisely.
"In 2005, 37.0-million people were in poverty, not statistically different from 2004," it says.
"In 2005, the number in poverty remained statistically unchanged from 2004 for people under 18 and people 18 to 64 years old (12.9-million and 20.5-million, respectively)," it goes on.
Dodd even says "about 12-million or 13-million are children," not looking too flashy by quoting the precise number of 12.9-million.
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The U.S. Census Bureau's 2006 report, released in August 2007, is "not statistically different from 2005," although it lists the number of people living in poverty as 36.5-million and the number of children living in poverty as 12.8-million.
Either way, we rule Dodd's statement True.
Our Sources
U.S. Census Bureau, Poverty: 2005 Highlights
U.S. Census Bureau, "Poverty 2006"
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