Take a second to say thank you to leaders on the historic passage of the American Rescue Plan.
Dear Friend,
You all. Something major, historic, and BIG (really big!) happened at the end of last week: Fueled by your calls, petition and letter signatures, stories that you shared, your contacts with members of Congress, posts on social media, and so much more… THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN PASSED!!! This is a moment of real relief! Help is on the way!
* It’s not very often that we get to say a big THANK YOU, but now is the time.
(Why say “Thank you”? Because we’re not done with the transformative change we all need; and saying thank you is a key way to help keep the momentum going for permanent, universal, transformative policy change).
We’re also saying, “Thank you!,” because there is A LOT to be thankful for (and even to love) in the American Rescue Plan:
We love the historic investment of $40 billion in childcare that will stabilize the childcare system and also the funds to help safely reopen K-12 schools.
We love the revisions to our tax code that will pull half of children out of poverty and make our tax system work better for all of us and not just the mega-wealthy. *For instance, there will be $3,600 per year for each child aged 0-6; and $3,000 per year for each child aged 6 -17 through improvements in the Child Tax Credit. Plus the American Rescue Plan made this vital tax credit fully refundable, meaning even those making low-wages and those out of the labor force making no income can access it! [1]
We love the direct support to families, including immigrant families, and to all those facing hunger and teetering on the brink of homelessness. * For instance, there will be $1,400 checks per adult and child, which combined with the recent $600, meets the goal of $2000 in direct payment checks.
We love the expanded unemployment insurance, food assistance, and money that will prevent cities and counties from having to terminate firefighters, public health workers, teachers and others just when we need them most. * For instance, there is a $300 boost in unemployment insurance payments through Sept. 6th and over $10,000 in tax forgiveness to those receiving benefits. [2]
We love the fact that it will make vaccines more readily available in equitable ways, especially for vulnerable communities and communities of color.
We love that Medicaid coverage for pregnant people can be available for up to 12 months postpartum. We know that pregnant people are more likely to be admitted to the intensive care unit and with pregnancy-related deaths increasing due to COVID-19, so this is a life-saving expansion.
MomsRising members made over 230,000 constituent contacts with members of Congress in support of this bill. Why?Because as we know the pandemic is having an outsized impact on women and moms, with women and moms of color experiencing compounded health and economic harms due to structural racism. And we know the American Rescue Plan will be a tremendous help and also a powerful step toward the transformational, permanent, and universal change we all need to lift our economy, our businesses, and our families.
Families are in a state of emergency. That’s why we are so grateful to President Biden and Vice President Harris, as well as the Democratic leadership in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate for staying the course and getting the American Rescue Plan passed in the first 50 days of the new Congress and Biden/Harris Administration!
As we send our gratitude, we also know our work isn’t over -- and we love what’s going to come next… IF we raise our voices loud enough, as together we work to find a way to:
Put paid leave in place for everyone, always,
Build a permanent childcare infrastructure that works for everyone,
Make permanent improvements to the EITC and Child Tax Credit,
Close the wage gap and make fair fair,
Create a path to citizenship for immigrants,
Heed the calls to reimagine what safety looks like by investing in communities in ways, that don’t continue criminalization,
