By a 9 Vote Margin, House of Representatives & Rep. Sires Approve American Rescue Plan

Sires Votes in Favor of the American Rescue Plan, Bringing Much-Needed Relief Closer for the American People

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Congressman Albio Sires voted in favor of a Senate amendment to H.R. 1319, the final version of the American Rescue Plan Act, a comprehensive $1.9 trillion relief bill that will provide much needed assistance in fighting COVID-19, increasing our vaccine output, and providing aid to the American people. The House passed the amended H.R. 1319 by a vote of 220-211.

“A year after the initial outbreak of COVID-19 in our nation, the health and economic impacts continue to ripple across the country,” said Rep. Sires. “As we continue to grapple with the effects of this virus, the American Rescue Plan lays out a bold vision and provides the necessary funding and relief measures to provide real, much-needed relief  and resources to residents of the 8^th District and to the American people. Measures in this bill include funding to increase our testing and contact tracing and to increase the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines. Additionally, there are many measures to assist hard-working families, such as extended unemployment benefits, tax credits, increased nutrition assistance, and new economic impact payments. The American Rescue Plan takes the necessary steps to get the people and economy of our great nation back on track.”

The American Rescue Plan includes many key measures to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and provide critical relief to the American people by providing:

• Billions of dollars in funding to increase testing and contact tracing.
• Authorization to mount a national vaccination program that includes setting up vaccination sites in every community across the country.
• Economic impact payments of $1,400 per eligible individual.
• Funding to extend unemployment benefits for those that have lost their jobs due to COVID-19.
• A tax exemption of up to $10,200 on unemployment benefits for households making less than $150,000.
• $130 billion in funding for schools to use to safely reopen their classrooms for our students.
• Funding to support small businesses, the backbone of our main streets.
• Billions of dollars in funding for emergency rental assistance and to help people keep their homes.
• Extension of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits by 15%, as well as almost $2 billion in funding for food assistance programs to ensure no family goes hungry.
• Expansion of the Child Tax Credit and making the Child Tax Credit fully refundable for families to reduce child poverty.
• Expansion of subsidies in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace and new subsidies for unemployed individuals to ensure all Americans have access to quality healthcare during this time.