Ending poverty is personal for Congresswoman Lee. During a very difficult period as a young single mother, Congresswoman Lee received public assistance while attending college and raising her two sons. As chair of the Democratic Whip Task Force on Poverty, Income Inequality and Opportunity, she continues fighting to protect bridges over troubled water for struggling families so everyone has the opportunity to live the American dream.

As a member of the powerful federal spending committee, Congresswoman Lee has led the fight to preserve and expand critical safety net programs like unemployment insurance, housing assistance, child care, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). She firmly believes that ending poverty in the world’s rich and most powerful nation is a moral and economic imperative. Additionally, Congresswoman Lee has long championed global poverty eradication efforts.