Today, Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02), Chairman of the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, released the following statement after the House of Representatives passed the American Rescue Plan Act, the latest coronavirus relief bill:
“The coronavirus pandemic has created two crises in our nation—both health and economic. In one year, this virus killed more than 500,000 Americans and infected tens of millions more; devastated our economy causing 18 million Americans to need unemployment benefits; caused nearly 24 million Americans to struggle with hunger, including 12 million children; left up to 40 million Americans unable to afford rent and fearing eviction; and threatened the education and socialization of our children due to school closures. The most vulnerable communities have borne the brunt of this pandemic. We have a duty to respond and help the American people recover. This bill is a major step towards fulfilling that duty.”
The American Rescue Plan Act will crush the virus, return children safely to the classroom, get vaccines to the people, put dollars into families’ pockets and put people back to work. Specifically, it will:
- Create a national vaccination plan that includes community vaccination sites; increase testing and tracing; address shortages of personal protective equipment and other vital supplies; invest in high-quality treatments; and address health inequities
- Make necessary investments to safely reopen schools and expand access to safe and reliable childcare
- Deliver $1,400 checks for working families following the $600 checks from December
- Raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025
- Provide housing assistance for renters, homeowners, and people experiencing homelessness
- Increase nutrition assistance to help 40 million Americans keep food on the table
- Expand access to affordable healthcare
- Extend and expand unemployment insurance to help 18 million American workers pay the bills
- Expand the Child Tax Credit which will support 27 million children
- Improved the Earned Income Tax Credit for 15 million low-wage childless workers
- Provide support to small businesses with Economic Injury Disaster Loan grants, expanded Paycheck Protection Plan eligibility and more
- Provide assistance to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments to protect essential workers
- And more
A complete and detailed summary of the American Rescue Plan Act can be found here.
Original source can be found here.
