Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) voted to pass the American Rescue Plan Act and send it to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law. This comprehensive bill delivers critical relief to El Paso families and small businesses, will lift millions out of poverty, and accelerates vaccination efforts to finally defeat the virus.
“One year ago, the COVID-19 pandemic swept across our nation and El Paso, resulting in millions of job losses, closing thousands of small businesses, exacerbating poverty and food insecurity, and eventually taking the lives of more than 527,000 Americans,” said Congresswoman Escobar. “El Pasoans deserve a robust, comprehensive response to this pandemic, and today I voted for the American Rescue Plan Act to deliver desperately needed relief. This legislation will now be sent to President Biden’s desk to be immediately signed and enacted. Help is on the way!”
The American Rescue Plan Act will save lives and livelihoods:
- Put Vaccines in Arms: The plan will mount a national vaccination program that includes setting up community vaccination sites nationwide and addressing disparities facing communities of color. It will also take complementary measures to combat the virus, including scaling up testing and tracing, addressing shortages of personal protective equipment, etc.
- Put Children Safely Back in School: The plan will make a nearly $130 billion investment in school re-opening and making up for lost learning.
- Put Money in El Pasoan’s Pockets: The plan finishes the job on Congresswoman Escobar and President Joe Biden’s promise to provide $2,000 in direct assistance to households with checks of $1,400 per 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 child care and affordable health care, extend unemployment insurance so that 18 million American workers can pay their bills and supporting 27 million children with an expanded Child Tax Credit and more than 17 million low-wage workers through an improved Earned Income Tax Credit.
- Put People Back in Jobs: The plan will provide crucial support for El Paso’s hardest-hit small businesses 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 workers that all Americans depend on.
An updated analysis prepared by the House Committee on Oversight and Reform detailing Senate changes estimates that the American Rescue Plan Act will provide over $16.8 billion in state funding for Texas in addition to urgently needed funding for El Paso communities:
- El Paso County: $162.7 million
- City of El Paso: $159.2 million
- City of Socorro: $7.4 million
- Town of Horizon City: $4.2 million
- City of San Elizario: $1.9 million
- Town of Anthony: $1.1 million
- Village of Vinton: $440,875
- Town of Clint: $240,000
A previous analysis prepared by the House Committee on Education and Labor estimates that the American Rescue Plan Act will, if the Texas Education Agency adheres to the mechanisms in this legislation, provide the following amounts to our local school districts:
- El Paso Independent School District: $208,996,000
- Ysleta Independent School District: $145,025,000
- Socorro Independent School District: $115,735,000
- Clint Independent School District: $37,795,000
- San Elizario Independent School District: $16,668,000
- Canutillo Independent School District: $13,460,000
- Fabens Independent School District: $12,017,000
- Tornillo Independent School District: $4,170,000
- Anthony Independent School District: $2,062,000
To view the bill text, click here. To view a one-pager on the legislation, click here.
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