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Congressman Kim Votes to Provide Help for Working Families, Schools, and Public Health in American Rescue Plan

February 27, 2021

Congressman Kim Votes to Provide Help for Working Families,
Schools, and Public Health in American Rescue Plan

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Andy Kim (NJ-03) voted to pass H.R. 1319, the American Rescue Plan Act, which provides critical resources to help address the totality of the COVID-19 crisis.

"The COVID-19 pandemic hasn't just taken lives, it has sparked a year-long crisis that has cost millions their jobs, put millions more into poverty, and put an incredible strain on our communities," said Congressman Kim. "These problems are interconnected, which means the solutions must be comprehensive. This bill doesn't just provide the funding we need to end this pandemic, it follows through on our promise to provide direct payments and enhanced unemployment insurance to those families struggling to put food on the table, it will help get our kids back to school in-person faster, and it will deliver the funding our small businesses and towns have been asking for to get them through these tough times."

The American Rescue Plan provides approximately $1.9 trillion in recovery efforts to directly address the impact the COVID-19 crisis has had on our country. Nearly half of the money in the bill will provide direct help for Americans struggling with the economic impact of the crisis. This will largely come from an additional direct payment of $1,400 per person (for 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) which fulfills the pledge made to deliver $2,000 in direct economic support for working families. The total cost of this effort will be an estimated $422 billion, or approximately 22 percent of the total bill.

Other direct support includes extended and enhanced unemployment support through the end of August (costing approximately $246 billion) and making the Child Tax Credit larger and fully refundable (costing approximately $143 billion)

Additional help includes:

  • A total of $350 billion to state and local governments – of which New Jersey will get approximately $10 billion in assistance. Burlington County will receive approximately $86 million in direct assistance and Ocean County will receive approximately $118 million in direct assistance with townships receiving additional direct support.
  • Over $20 Billion to Establish A National COVID-19 Vaccination Program and Improve the Administration and Distribution of Vaccinations.
  • $49 Billion to Expand Testing, Contact Tracing, and Mitigation and Related Activities.
  • Nearly $130 billion to Help K-12 Schools Re-Open Safely.
  • $39 billion through the Child Care and Development Block Grant for child care providers as the country reopens and provides financial relief for families struggling to cover tuition.
  • $25 billion for a new program at SBA to offer assistance to restaurants and bars with 20 or fewer locations that have been hit hard by the pandemic.
  • $7.25 billion in additional funding for PPP and expands eligibility of 501(c) nonprofits of all sizes and types.
  • $13 billion for VA to provide health care services.

"The cost of inaction is inexcusable," continued Congressman Kim. "Every person I talk to – from mayors and local officials from both parties, to small business owners, to people calling in on my town halls – want their federal government to take every action possible to end this pandemic and get our communities back on their feet. I'm voting for this because it's what people in our communities want, and it's the help they truly deserve."

Congressman Kim is a member of the House Armed Services Committee, the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Committee on Small Business. More information about Congressman Kim can be found on his website by clicking here.