Help Is on The Way!
Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43), Chairwoman of the House Committee on Financial Services, issued the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass the American Rescue Plan Act. The legislation was sent to President Biden’s desk and has been signed into law.
“The historic American Rescue Plan was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and has reached President Biden’s desk and received his signature. I am so pleased that help will soon be on the way for the millions of people struggling to stay afloat during this pandemic.
“The American Rescue Plan is a $1.9 trillion package that I worked on with my colleagues, President Biden and Vice President Harris, that delivers for you, your family, and our community by providing direct cash payments, increased unemployment benefits, emergency rental assistance to help with back rent, support for small businesses, and so much more. The historic nature of this legislation cannot be overstated.
“To be specific, this bill provides a $1400 direct payment, expands the child tax credit from $2000 to $3000 per child and directs the Treasury Secretary to issue the credit as an advance monthly payment for some parents, and $130 billion to help safely reopen our nation’s schools. The bill also provides $300 of federal unemployment benefits per week until September 6. In addition to the $25 billion in emergency rental assistance I secured in the December package, as Chairwoman of the House Financial Services Committee, I also worked extremely hard to secure $27.5 billion in additional assistance for renters and $10 billion in direct assistance to homeowners in this bill. This is going to help people remain housed until our nation emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, and provides support to all, including mom-and-pop landlords who have been suffering.
“For all of us, this month marks a year to the date at which life drastically changed. We lost the ability to visit with many of our loved ones, social distancing measures became widespread, and many other normal parts of our lives came to a screeching halt. With this rescue package, we can begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
“Not only will your pockets directly benefit from the bill, but there is also substantial funding to help our nation rebuild. The package includes $20 billion to enable more people to get vaccinated quickly, $350 billion for state and local governments to continue important services, $7.25 billion for small businesses and nonprofits to have increased access to the paycheck protection program, and $28.66 billion for a restaurant revitalization fund.
“From the very beginning of this pandemic, despite Republican obstruction, Democrats have worked every single day to deliver this type of relief that assists you and helps to get our nation on a path to a speedy recovery. Along with President Biden and Vice President Harris, I made getting this type of assistance to you, my number one priority, and I will continue to advocate on behalf of your needs as we move forward.
“As always, let us remain vigilant and let us follow all of the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and defeat this pandemic. With President Biden having signed the bill, I look forward to relief reaching our communities soon.”
