Napolitano's Statement on House Passage of the American Rescue Plan

Statement

Today, Rep. Grace F. Napolitano (D-El Monte) voted to pass H.R. 1319, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, to provide urgent Coronavirus relief to San Gabriel Valley families, workers, and small businesses, issuing the following statement:

"The American Rescue Plan provides another round of direct cash payments, boosts rental assistance, and extends unemployment insurance to millions of Americans who are struggling to pay their bills, stay in their homes, and put food on the table. These and other critical resources included in the legislation will help us defeat this deadly virus, safely reopen schools, deliver vaccines to all, put money in families' pockets, and get people back to work.

"Our bill provides an estimated $136 million directly to cities in my district to help finally pay our local heroes--our health care workers, police, fire, transportation, EMS, teachers, and other essential workers--who have fought every day of this pandemic to keep us safe and could lose their jobs. It also critically includes $4 billion to address the mental health crisis unfolding across our nation, ensuring counseling, mental health services, and other life-saving resources are available to anyone in need."

"With over 500,000 Americans lives lost to COVID-19, tens of millions having been infected, millions more unemployed as well as food and housing insecure, the time for action is now. We thank President Biden for his steadfast support of this bold, urgently needed relief package, and we implore the Senate to immediately take it up and pass it."

Some of the numerous initiatives in the American Rescue Plan that will benefit San Gabriel Valley residents:

Direct Payment Checks

Provides single filers with incomes up to $75,000, head of household filers with incomes up to $112,500, and joint filers with incomes up to $150,000 the full payment of $1,400.
This income eligibility threshold is the same as previous stimulus checks.
Rental Assistance

$21.2 billion for emergency rental and utility assistance to states and localities to help stabilize renters during the pandemic and help rental property owners of all sizes continue to cover their costs
$10 billion to assist homeowners pay their mortgages, utilities, and property taxes
$5 billion to help states and localities assist those experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness
Unemployment Benefits

Extends unemployment benefits through August 29, 2021 and increases the current federal boost from $300 a week to $400 a week.
Lengthens the duration of the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program from 50 weeks up to 74 weeks and the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program from 24 weeks to 48 weeks.
State and Local Governments

Provides $350 billion to state and local governments, as well as tribes and territories to help keep critical workers on the job.
Funds are available until expended and must be used to address the pandemic or its negative economic impacts, including to replace revenue lost, delayed, or decreased as a result of the pandemic.
Child Tax Credit

Increases the Child Tax Credit to $3,000 per child and $3,600 for a child under the age of 6.
Makes Child Tax Credit fully refundable for 2021.
Expanding Behavioral and Mental Health Services

$3.5 billion for the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment and Community Mental Health block grant programs through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
Additional funding for SAMHSA programs includes: $80 million for a new grant program to support mental health and substance use disorder services in communities; $10 million for the existing National Childhood Traumatic Stress Network; $50 million for an existing grant program which supports youth mental health services and suicide prevention.
$80 million for mental and behavioral health training for several professional sectors
$100 million for the Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program to expand access to behavioral health services, an additional $20 million which specifically targets education for health care professionals and first responders
$40 million to help health care providers to create a positive mental and behavioral health environment at work.
Enhanced federal Medicaid support for mobile response dispatch teams to help individuals experiencing a mental health or substance use order crisis.
Transportation

$50 billion for FEMA Disaster Relief Fund to help communities deal with costs associated with COVID-19 response, including vaccination efforts
$30 billion for transit for operating costs, including payroll and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
$8 billion for airports and airport businesses to retain personnel and continue operations
Vaccines

$7.5 billion to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to prepare, promote distribute, monitor, and track COVID--19 vaccines.
$7.5 billion for FEMA to establish vaccination sites across the country
$1 billion for the CDC to undertake a vaccine awareness and engagement campaign
Resources for Schools

Nearly $130 billion to elementary and secondary education to help schools reopen safely and close the homework gap. Schools would be able to use the money to update their ventilation systems, reduce class sizes to help implement social distancing, buy PPE, and hire support staff.
Nearly $40 billion for institutions of higher education to help make up for lost revenue due to the pandemic. Requires institutions to dedicate at least half of their funding for emergency aid grants to students to help prevent hunger, homelessness, and other hardships facing students as a result of the pandemic.
Small Businesses & Local Restaurants

Allocates $60 billion to small businesses, including $25 billion to fund Restaurant Revitalization Grants through SBA, assisting restaurants in recovering from the economic downturn.
$7.25 billion in additional funding for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and expands eligibility of 501(c) nonprofits of all sizes and types, except for 501(c)4 lobbying organizations.
$15 billion for targeted Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program to help those who applied for relief in 2020 but did not receive the full $10,000 grant.
$2.5 billion to business enterprises owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, including minority-owned businesses.

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