American Rescue Plan
The American Rescue Plan is a $1.9 trillion stimulus package proposed by President Joe Biden to speed up the United States' recovery from the economic and health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing recession. He plans to pass this as one of his first bills into law through the 117th Congress. First proposed on January 14, 2021, the package builds upon many of the measures in the CARES Act from March and in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 from December.
Legislative history
Negotiations
Ten Republican senators announced plans to unveil a roughly $600billion COVID-19 relief package as a counterproposal to President Joe Biden's $1.9trillion plan meant to force negotiations. The senators, including Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah and Rob Portman of Ohio, told Biden in a letter that they devised the plan "in the spirit of bipartisanship and unity" that the President has urged and said they planned to release a full proposal on February 1. On the same day, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer introduced a budget resolution as a step to pass the legislation without support from the Republican Party. The next day, Biden meet with Majority Leader Schumer and other Democrats regarding the relief package. The United States Senate voted 50-49 to pass the resolution, which would allow Democrats to pass the relief package without support from Republicans.
Provisions
The New York Times reported that key elements of the plan include:
*Extending expanded unemployment benefits with a $400 weekly supplement through end of September (vs. March 31 currently)
*$1,400 direct payments to individuals
*$20 billion for a national vaccine program, including preparation of community vaccination centers
*Funding for 100,000 public health workers for vaccination outreach and contact tracing
*Funding to help address disproportionate impact on people of color, for community health centers, prisons, and jails
*Emergency paid leave for over 100 million Americans
*Tax credits for families to offset up to $8,000 in annual child care costs
*Aid to renters with unpaid debts to landlords
*Grants to small businesses
*Funds to accelerate vaccine deployment and to safely reopen most schools within 100 days
*$350 billion to help state and local governments bridge budget shortfalls.<ref name="nytimes.com"/>
Legislative history
Negotiations
Ten Republican senators announced plans to unveil a roughly $600billion COVID-19 relief package as a counterproposal to President Joe Biden's $1.9trillion plan meant to force negotiations. The senators, including Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah and Rob Portman of Ohio, told Biden in a letter that they devised the plan "in the spirit of bipartisanship and unity" that the President has urged and said they planned to release a full proposal on February 1. On the same day, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer introduced a budget resolution as a step to pass the legislation without support from the Republican Party. The next day, Biden meet with Majority Leader Schumer and other Democrats regarding the relief package. The United States Senate voted 50-49 to pass the resolution, which would allow Democrats to pass the relief package without support from Republicans.
Provisions
The New York Times reported that key elements of the plan include:
*Extending expanded unemployment benefits with a $400 weekly supplement through end of September (vs. March 31 currently)
*$1,400 direct payments to individuals
*$20 billion for a national vaccine program, including preparation of community vaccination centers
*Funding for 100,000 public health workers for vaccination outreach and contact tracing
*Funding to help address disproportionate impact on people of color, for community health centers, prisons, and jails
*Emergency paid leave for over 100 million Americans
*Tax credits for families to offset up to $8,000 in annual child care costs
*Aid to renters with unpaid debts to landlords
*Grants to small businesses
*Funds to accelerate vaccine deployment and to safely reopen most schools within 100 days
*$350 billion to help state and local governments bridge budget shortfalls.<ref name="nytimes.com"/>
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