41.   It was the second consecutive year of a decline in the poverty rate.

42.   Louisiana saw a steep drop in the poverty rate.

43.   On the bottom end of the scale, the child poverty rate in America is four times the European average.

44.   On that list, Benton Harbor, Mich., had the highest poverty rate, meaning it was the poorest U.S. city.

45.   Opponents said it would reward states for allowing their poverty rates to grow.

46.   Other states showing decreased poverty rates were Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri and Indiana.

47.   Other factors, including the breakup of families, also have contributed to the high poverty rate in Arizona.

48.   Poverty rates among immigrant populations are high, and if current problems are allowed to grow, they could lead to a permanent underclass of immigrants.

49.   Poverty rates for Indians, Latinos, and African-Americans remain more than twice that of white Americans.

50.   Poverty rates, which represent the percentage of people living below a federally-designated income level, were equally disturbing for Hispanics.