Obama, Christian Leaders Tackle US Poverty
Although America is one of the richest nations in the world, one in five American children live below the poverty line.
In light of that grim statistic, Catholic and evangelical policy influencers joined President Barack Obama at a poverty summit in Washington Tuesday.
Their goal is to find places of agreement between conservative and progressive lawmakers that will benefit "the least of these."
The president said part of the problem is the way the media portrays people who receive government assistance.
"They will find folks that make me mad. I don't know where they find them. They're all like, 'I don't want to work. I just want a free Obama-phone' or whatever. And that becomes an entire narrative," he said.
Obama said his Christian beliefs tell him it's important to mentor young people and make charitable donations. But he also wants to influence policy that can reduce poverty in America.
