Chairwoman Barbara Lee Statement on One-Year Anniversary of the American Rescue Plan
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, issued the following statement marking one year since the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 was signed into law:
“One year ago today, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan (ARP) into law following passage by Congress, catapulting a historic recovery that has led to one of the strongest periods of economic growth in a century.
“Many Americans had been left to fend for themselves during one of the worst public health and economic crises in history. The ARP expanded access to vaccines and testing; provided economic relief that kept millions out of poverty; prevented a catastrophic wave of evictions and foreclosures; helped small businesses and schools stay afloat; and made critical investments in the expansion of health care coverage and reducing costs for millions.
“In my district in California’s East Bay, the ARP has been transformative, especially its expansion of the Child Tax Credit. Families in my district alone received 74,000 individual payments for a total of close to $160 million during the last half of 2021. For thousands of families in our community, this money meant the difference between having child care or not, having healthy food on the table or not, having a secure place to live or not.
“Though my Covid Community Care Act, we also delivered vital funding to support community-based efforts to hire and mobilize community outreach workers, community health workers, social support specialists, and others to increase vaccine access for the hardest-hit and highest-risk communities through high-touch, on-the-ground outreach to educate and assist individuals in getting the information they need about vaccinations.
“Looking back on its impact, we now have analyses showing that the ARP resulted in 4 million jobs and nearly doubled GDP growth—and without it, we would have neared a double-digit recession. Compared to previous economic recoveries, this past year’s has also been far more equitable in terms of progress against child poverty, food insecurity, and unemployment for low-income communities and communities of color.
“With that said, we still have a long way to go on all of these issues. Too many still lack access to the health care they need to live a fulfilling life. Millions of Americans are struggling to put food on the table amid rising costs, from the ongoing housing crisis to the recent spike in gas prices to the ever-growing cost of child care. And the pervasive racial and gender inequities laid bare by COVID are deeper than ever.
“I urge Americans to look at what the American Rescue Plan did in just a single year as a testament to the transformative impact government can have when it prioritizes people. I thank President Biden and my Democratic colleagues in Congress for their steadfast leadership and look forward to continuing to work together to deliver for the American people.”
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Congresswoman Lee is a member of the House Appropriations Committee and Chair of the Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations. She serves as Co-Chair of the Steering & Policy Committee, former Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Chair Emeritus of the Progressive Caucus, Co-Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Health Task Force, and Co-Chair of the Pro-Choice Caucus. She also serves as Chair of the Majority Leader’s Task Force on Poverty and Opportunity. As a member of the House Democratic Leadership, she is the highest ranking Black woman in the U.S. Congress.