Bernie Sanders Threatens Filibuster

Sen. Bernie Sanders is threatening to filibuster on the tax cuts deal struck between President Obama and the Republicans.

While Republicans are fighting for upper-income tax cuts, a Census Bureau report more Americans are falling into poverty.

The poverty rate in 2009 was the highest since 1994, but was 8.1 percentage points lower than the poverty rate in 1959, the first year for which poverty estimates are available, the Census Bureau said.

Median income declined between 2008 and 2009 for non-Hispanic white and black households in the United States, while Asian households had the highest median income in 2009. Median income for Hispanic-origin households was about the same in 2009 as in 2008, the report said.

The number of working men fell since 2007 by 2.5 million, while the number of working women fell by 1.3 million, the report said.

During the health care debate Republicans argued to either slow down reform or none was needed. The Census Bureau report shows more Americans losing health care coverage because of current economic conditions.

The number of people covered by private health insurance fell from 2008 to 2009, while the number with government health insurance rose, the report said.

Some 194.5 million people in 2009 have private health coverage, compared to 201 million in 2008. The number of people covered by government plans rose to 93.2 million in 2009, from 87.4 million in 2008.

This is what the political conversation should be about right now.