Garamendi: A Plan to Crush COVID-19 and Rebuild Our Economy
"We have come one step closer to building back our economy better than before, putting children safely back in schools, and ramping up vaccine production."
(File photo by Matthew Keys/Solano NewsNet)
By: Rep. John Garamendi
Special to Solano NewsNet
Hope is on the horizon.
This week, I voted to pass the “American Rescue Plan”, which President Joe Biden signed into law today. One-hundred percent of the funds in this COVID-19 relief package will help us crush the virus; get children safely back to the classroom; get more vaccines produced, distributed, and administered to Americans; put dollars into the pockets of struggling families; and help get people back to work.
Solano County communities have shown incredible strength and resilience in the face of a remarkably challenging year. With the COVID-19 pandemic came unemployment and financial hardship for families in our community. My office continues to work with constituents who are worried about their finances, all while meeting the challenge of virtual schooling for their children and ensuring that their families are healthy.
The American Rescue Plan will put students back in classrooms. As the COVID-19 pandemic began, parents and students needed to adapt to virtual learning. We have witnessed the burdens this has had on families struggling to make ends meet while also prioritizing their children’s educational growth. For students and teachers, virtual learning has come with its own challenges—ranging from internet connectivity issues to concerns about childhood development. The American Rescue Plan includes $128 billion in direct funding to school districts nationwide to support remote learning, help K-12 programs safely reopen, and address lost time in the classroom. Of this $128 billion, $47,198,000 will go to Solano County schools to get students safely back in the classroom.
The American Rescue Plan also puts money in pockets and puts people back to work. The plan provides direct housing and nutrition assistance and extends and expands unemployment insurance to ensure Americans who have lost their job during the pandemic can afford to pay their bills. This includes $1,400 in additional direct assistance for qualifying Americans, which follows the $600 down payment from December 2020 and brings the total amount to $2,000 per person. The bill also includes $7.25 billion in additional funding for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and $15 billion for targeted Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program assistance to support small businesses and their employees, and it offers $25 billion for a new lifeline to support restaurants and bars.
The American Rescue Plan also puts vaccines in arms. Though the COVID-19 vaccine rollout is well underway, the plan builds upon opportunities for growth in both production and distribution to make vaccines readily available to every American. This legislation provides approximately $50 billion for testing and contact tracing, including approximately $19 billion to support the public health workforce and about $16 billion for vaccine manufacturing and distribution.
Many people still have questions and want to know where and when they will be able to receive a vaccine. Our plan helps bridge communication gaps between community vaccination centers and community members to ensure that people easily access information and sign-up to get a vaccine.
As we grieve the 500,000 lives lost to this terrible virus, we must continue to fight for our communities. With the passage of the American Rescue Plan, we have come one step closer to building back our economy better than before, putting children safely back in schools, and ramping up vaccine production and distribution.
However, this ambitious package is just the start — we know that more relief is needed to bridge the gap for many who are struggling while also emphasizing public health and the necessary steps to jumpstart our economy. Please know that I will not stop working to ensure that Congress delivers what is needed in Solano County and throughout California’s 3rd District.
I will keep you up-to-date on my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/repgaramendi, and on my government website at https://garamendi.house.gov.
I can better represent you in Washington if I know your views and suggestions. You can contact me at my Fairfield district office, 1261 Travis Blvd. Suite 180, or by calling 707-438-1822. You can also reach me at my Washington, D.C., office, 2368 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C., 20515, or by calling 202-225-1880.
—
Rep. John Garamendi (D., Walnut Grove) represents the 3rd Congressional District, which includes a segment of Solano County. The opinions expressed in this editorial are that of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Solano NewsNet.
Connect with Solano NewsNet on Twitter and Facebook for breaking news updates.
We’re proud to produce independent news for Solano County. This newsletter is an all-volunteer effort. If you would like to show your appreciation, consider making a donation in any amount or signing up for a paid subscription.