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Dear Friend,
Every day since the Coronavirus pandemic started, I hear from constituents worried about losing their homes or unable to make ends meet, business owners struggling to stay open, families desperate to send their children back to school, and healthcare providers stretched too thin. They need help, not through any fault of their own, but because of a pandemic that was allowed to go unchecked for too long. Fortunately, things are turning a corner thanks to an historic aid package that will help put money in families’ pockets, vaccines in arms, and kids in school.
On March 10, I was proud to join my colleagues in the House to pass H.R. 1319, the American Rescue Plan Act which President Biden signed into law the next day. This $1.9 trillion bill provides an additional $1,400 in survival checks, extends the $300 a week in additional unemployment insurance to September, offers more loans for small businesses, and speeds up vaccine distribution. Below are just a few of the provisions within the American Rescue Plan that will help end this crisis sooner and ensure more families in the San Gabriel Valley can stay on their feet.
Vaccine Distribution and Healthcare
Since the rollout of three safe and effective vaccines, many of you have had questions on when and where you can get your vaccine. As our vaccine supply continues to catch up to demand, I am proud that this bill provides over $20 billion to establish a National COVID-19 Vaccination Program to improve the administration and distribution of vaccines. In order to see if you qualify for a vaccine in your county and to make an appointment, please register at myturn.ca.gov. Make sure to check with your healthcare provider and pharmacy to see if they have any available doses and appointments, and please see vaccine information for Pasadena, Los Angeles County, and San Bernardino County.
This bill also provides $51 billion to increase testing, contact tracing, and mitigation so we can understand the virus’ spread within our communities. Additionally, it expands the subsidies in Covered California to cover more middle-class families and provides a 100% subsidy COBRA coverage, so those who have lost their job can continue their existing employer-sponsored health coverage through September 30, 2021.
Survival Checks
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has already begun sending survival checks to help millions of American families put food on the table or pay rent. The American Rescue Plan provides $1,400 per person for single filers with incomes up to $75,000, head of household filers with incomes up to $112,500, and joint filers with incomes up to $150,000, based on their 2020 taxes, or 2019 taxes if they have yet to file this year. The payments will completely phase out for single filers making $80,000, head of household filers making $120,000, and joint filers making $160,000. I am proud this includes $1,400 for every dependent, including dependents over the age of 17 and U.S. citizen children in mixed status families, provisions I have fought for over the past year. People can check the IRS’ Get My Payment tool to see the payment status on their survival check.
School Funding
I have heard from countless parents and teachers who want to send their students safely back into the classrooms. It is critical that schools have the funding to invest in personal protective equipment, transportation, HVAC systems, and more measures to ensure the safety of their students, teachers, staff, and families. That is why the American Rescue Plan provides nearly $130 billion to help K-12 schools reopen safely, as well as $40 billion for institutions of higher education to provide student assistance and help make up for lost revenue.
Unemployment Assistance
The American Rescue plan extends the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), and the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) through September 6, 2021. These programs will continue to provide supplemental benefits of $300 per week to eligible recipients. I successfully pushed to make sure freelancers, independent contractors, gig workers, and other self-employed individuals also qualify for this assistance. The American Rescue Plan will also exempt up to $10,200 in unemployment benefits received in 2020 from federal income taxes for households making less than $150,000. Please visit California’s Employment Development Department for more information if you or someone you know is out of work as a result of the pandemic.
Federal Tax Filing Deadline
The IRS has announced that the deadline for filing federal tax returns for individual taxpayers has been extended from April 15, 2021 to May 17, 2021. Individual taxpayers can also postpone federal income tax payments for the 2020 tax year due on April 15, 2021, to May 17, 2021, without penalties and interest, regardless of the amount owed. And for taxpayers eligible for tax forgiveness on unemployment benefits, the IRS has updated their worksheet and instructions to help taxpayers make those adjustments.
Small Business Assistance
Small businesses are the backbone of the San Gabriel Valley and we must ensure that they are able to keep their doors open and pay their employees. That is why I’m proud the American Rescue Plan provides $7.25 billion for additional Paycheck Protection Program funding and expands eligibility to all nonprofit organizations. The Small Business Administration (SBA) is currently accepting PPP applications until March 31, 2021, as we await Senate action to extend the deadline to May 31. It provides $15 billion for emergency grants through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program to ensure that those who applied for grants in 2020 but did not receive the full $10,000 will be made whole. The American Rescue Plan also allocates over $28 billion to a Restaurant Revitalization Fund through the SBA. If you or someone you know owns a small business and are in need of assistance, please visit the SBA’s website for more information.
Child Tax Credit
I am proud that the American Rescue Plan increases the annual amount of the child tax credit from $2,000 per child to $3,000 per child, and $3,600 for a child under 6. It also makes the tax credit fully refundable so American families can receive the full value of the credit regardless of what they owe in taxes. This bill also allows periodic advance payments for eligible families beginning July 1, 2021, so families can receive help throughout the year, not just when they file their taxes. With this single tax credit, it is estimated that we will cut America’s child poverty rate in half.
Housing and Nutrition Assistance
The American Rescue Plan provides $27.5 billion for emergency rental assistance to ensure struggling families have a safe place to live during these difficult times, and to help rental property owners continue to cover their costs. It provides $10 billion to the Homeowner Assistance Fund which goes to help struggling homeowners pay their mortgage, property taxes, property insurance, utilities, and other housing related costs. And it provides $4.75 billion to state and local governments through the HOME Investment Partnership program to finance affordable housing and supportive services for Americans experiencing homelessness.
This bill also makes key investments in food security programs so American families don’t have to worry where their next meal will come from. It extends SNAP maximum benefits by 15 percent through September 30, 2021, and provides $800 million for WIC to support vulnerable women and their children. It also allocates more than $5 billion in the Pandemic-EBT program so that low-income families have access to nutritional school meals and food assistance during the school year and summer months.
Funding for State and Local Governments
This bill provides $350 billion to state, local, and tribal governments to keep first responders, frontline health care workers, and other essential workers who are helping us weather this storm on the job. Given the high expenses and reduced revenues created by the pandemic, the American Rescue Plan will provide over $195 billion to states and $130 billion for local governments of every size, meaning cities in the San Gabriel Valley will receive assistance.
Resources to Stay Informed
This past year has uniquely impacted all of us, whether you have lost a loved one, lost your job, or haven’t been able to visit your family. But the end of this pandemic is within reach if we all continue to socially distance, wear a mask, and get a vaccine when it becomes available to us. As guidance on the pandemic continues to evolve, please stay up to date with information from the local to international levels by visiting:
The health and safety of you and your loved ones is of the utmost importance. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call my Pasadena office at (626) 304-0110 or my Washington, D.C. office at (202) 225-5464.
Sincerely,
Judy Chu, PhD
Member of Congress
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