Below is a press release from Congressman Bennie G. Thompson:
Last week, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson joined fellow Democrats to pass the landmark American Rescue Plan and send it to President Biden’s desk for his signature. Today, Rep. Thompson proudly highlights the vital resources that Mississippi families and communities will receive to crush the virus, put vaccines in people’s arms, money in people’s pockets, children safely back in school and workers back in jobs.
“Last week was one of great progress and hope for the people of Mississippi and all Americans as Democrats delivered on President Biden’s promise that Help Is On The Way,” said Rep. Thompson. “For a year, the pandemic and economic crisis have devastated Mississippi families and small businesses, but with the American Rescue Plan, Mississippians will receive the urgent relief they need. I was proud to help pass this landmark bill, and now, I am proud to share the robust support that will soon be headed to Mississippi families and communities.”
The pandemic and economic crisis have had a severe impact on Mississippi:
• Since the pandemic began, more than 297,651 Mississippians have been infected with COVID-19 and more than 6,808 have died;
• The unemployment rate in Mississippi is 6.6%, up from 5.8% before the pandemic.
• Since February 2020, more than 108,707 fewer Mississippians are employed.
• 255,000 adults – 14% of all adults in the state – report not having enough food to eat. This includes 157,000 adults living with children, or 20% of all Mississippi adults living with children, who report that the children in their household do not have enough to eat.
• An estimated 119,000 Mississippi renters or 22% of renters are not caught up on rent.
• An estimated 793,000 adults or 39% of all adults statewide report having difficulty covering normal household expenses.
But for Mississippi families, communities and small businesses, President Biden’s American Rescue Plan will save lives and livelihoods with targeted state and local relief:
• $1.941 billion in state fiscal relief;
• $973 million in local fiscal relief;
• More than $1.656 billion in relief for Mississippi K-12 schools;
• Economic impact payments of up to $1,400 per person for more than 1,839,300 Mississippi adults and 870,900 children.
• Additional relief of up to $1,600 per child through the Child Tax Credit to the families of 677,000 children, lifting 57,000 Mississippi children out of poverty;
• Additional relief of up to nearly $1,000 through the Earned Income Tax Credit to 177,000 childless Mississippi workers, including many on the frontline; and
• Marketplace health insurance premiums that are $1,419 lower per month for a 60-year old Mississippi couple earning $75,000 per year.
And the Biden American Rescue Plan delivers robust resources for every American:
• Put Vaccines in Arms: The plan mounts a national vaccination program that includes setting up community vaccination sites nationwide and addressing disparities facing communities of color. It also scales up testing and tracing, addresses shortages of personal protective equipment and other critical supplies, invests in high-quality treatments and addresses health care disparities.
• Put Money in People’s Pockets: The plan finishes the job on the President’s promise to provide $2,000 in direct assistance to households across America with checks of $1,400 per person, following the $600 down payment enacted in December. The plan also provides direct housing assistance, nutrition assistance, expands access to safe and reliable child care and affordable health care, extends Unemployment Insurance, expands the Child Tax Credit and improves the Earned Income Tax Credit.
• Put Children Safely Back in School: The plan delivers $170 billion for education and $45 billion for child care providers nationally. This includes a $130 billion investment in K-12 school re-opening and making up for lost time in the classroom, with funds that can be used to reduce class sizes, modify spaces so that students and teachers can socially distance, improve ventilation, implement more mitigation measures and provide personal protective equipment. The plan also provides more than $40 billion for higher education.
• Put People Back in Jobs: The plan provides crucial support for the hardest-hit small businesses, especially those owned by entrepreneurs from racial and ethnic backgrounds that have experienced systemic discrimination, with EIDL grants, expanded PPP eligibility and more. The plan also provides crucial resources to protect the jobs of first responders, frontline public health workers, teachers, transit workers and other essential workers that all Americans depend on.
“Thanks to Democrats’ commitment to protecting the lives and livelihoods of Mississippi families and all Americans, the American Rescue Plan is a promise made and a promise kept,” continued Rep. Thompson. “Now, I will continue working with my colleagues on behalf of the people of Mississippi to ensure this relief quickly reaches those most in need as we move forward to Build Back Better For The People.”
