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WASHINGTON—Congressman Paul D. Tonko voted in the House today to finalize the American Rescue Plan, legislation being championed by President Biden and Congressional Democrats that delivers a lifeline to Americans in need including direct support for families and workers, resources to help safely reopen schools and—for the first time—resources and coordination for a nationwide vaccination plan.

“For too long, our communities, schools and small businesses have endured this crisis without the federal resources and guidance they need,” Congressman Tonko said. “That all changes today. The American Rescue Plan delivers a smart, bold and compassionate response that gets the job done for the American people and takes the first steps in building a swift, sustainable national recovery. With this rescue package, we are taking immediate action to build out America’s vaccination systems. We are doing the hard work to lift kids in need out of poverty and get all kids safely back in classrooms. We are patching our essential safety net to boost housing, food assistance, child-care and other vital services so we can get struggling families back on their feet quickly. I’m proud to cast this historic vote and deliver this lifeline for our families and communities, and I will continue pushing for smart investments in America’s recovery until we finally crush this virus and get our nation on the strong path to recovery.”

The American Rescue Plan:

• Puts Vaccines in Arms: Building out a national vaccination program that includes setting up community vaccination sites nationwide and addressing disparities facing communities of color; scaling up testing and tracing, addressing shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other critical supplies; investing in high-quality treatments and addressing health care disparities. 
• Puts Children Safely Back in School: Investing nearly $130 billion in school re-opening and making up for lost learning.
• Puts Money in People’s Pockets: Delivering direct assistance to households across America with checks of $1,400 per person; providing direct housing assistance and nutrition assistance for 40 million Americans; expanding access to safe and reliable child care and affordable health care; extending unemployment insurance; supporting 27 million children with an expanded Child Tax Credit and more than 17 million low-wage workers through an improved Earned Income Tax Credit.
• Puts People Back In Jobs: Delivering resources to protect the jobs of first responders, frontline public health workers, teachers, transit workers and other essential workers that all Americans depend on; providing crucial support for the hardest-hit small businesses, especially those owned by entrepreneurs from racial and ethnic backgrounds.

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