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John,
It was just over a year ago that the coronavirus pandemic began to upend our lives.
Across the country, panic set in as plans were canceled, travel bans were instituted, and stay-at-home orders were put in place.
With no roadmap or modern precedent for a global pandemic of this scale, many were left feeling scared and uncertain.
But now we have something new on our side that many of us were lacking last March -- hope.
To date, over 93 million Americans have been vaccinated, and over 18% of Washingtonians have received at least one shot.
As COVID-19 rates continue to drop, it seems like we're finally getting a glimpse of the light at the end of the tunnel. Moving forward we must have strong recovery efforts and make sure every single American can get back on their feet and build back better.
After passing a historic relief package earlier this month, we're one step closer to making that happen.
The COVID-19 relief bill is putting dollars directly into the hands of those who need it most through stimulus checks and a temporary version of my Child Tax Credit (CTC) expansion -- which will help struggling families get by.
And, we have the opportunity to make this CTC expansion permanent and lift 4 million children out of poverty by providing eligible families up to $3,600 per child per year. This is our chance to ensure that working families have what they need to thrive, not just for the upcoming year, but for all the years to come.
The end is in sight, John -- but we're not there yet. So keep up the social distancing, keep wearing a mask, and keep looking out for one another.
I promise to keep looking out for you as well.
Stay safe, and stay hopeful,
Suzan DelBene
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