NEW YORK – Today, U.S. Representative Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08) spoke directly to his constituents in the 8th Congressional District and residents of New York City about the American Rescue Plan and how it is working to crush the virus, provide direct assistance to everyday New Yorkers, ensure that businesses can reopen, and lay the foundation to revive the economy and create prosperity and opportunity in every single ZIP code. Rep. Jeffries was joined by Council Member Mark Treyger, Chair of the Council Committee on Education, who discussed the impact on New York City schools.

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Passed and signed into law in March, the American Rescue Plan delivered $1.9 trillion, including $12 billion to the New York State and $6 billion to the New York City governments, to help crush the virus and build back better. Among other policies, the law: 

• Puts Money in Pockets: The plan provides direct assistance to households across America with checks of $1,400 per qualifying person, following the $600 down payment enacted in December. The plan will also provide direct housing assistance, nutrition assistance for 40 million Americans, expand access to safe and reliable childcare and affordable healthcare, extend unemployment insurance so that 18 million American workers can pay their bills and support more than 17 million low-wage workers through an improved Earned Income Tax Credit. The bill also will lift 5.5 million children out of poverty through increasing the Child Tax Credit from $2000 per child to $3000 per child ($3600 for a child under age 6).
• Puts Vaccines in Arms: The plan mounts a national vaccination program that includes setting up community vaccination sites. It will also combat the virus by scaling up testing and tracing, addressing shortages of personal protective equipment and other critical supplies, investing in high-quality treatments and addressing healthcare disparities.
• Puts Children Safely Back in School: The plan makes a nearly $130 billion investment in school reopening and making up for lost learning.
• Puts 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 personnel that we all depend on.