Dear Friend,
I, along with my colleagues in Congress, took bold action over the weekend, by passing President Biden's American Rescue Plan - an urgently needed package to address the coronavirus pandemic and economic crisis.
Lives and livelihoods across the country are at stake and unfortunately, tens of millions of Americans have been infected. We've recently passed the tragic milestone of having lost 500,000 lives to the virus.
Meanwhile, the economic crisis is accelerating: over 18 million Americans are receiving unemployment benefits, nearly 24 million Americans are struggling with hunger with an estimated 12 million children living in households with food insecurity, up to 40 million Americans cannot afford rent and fear eviction, school closures threaten the education of countless millions of our children, and our most vulnerable communities are bearing the brunt of these twin crises as underlying health and economic inequities grow worse.
The American Rescue Plan Act will crush the virus, return children safely to the classroom, get vaccines to the people, put dollars into familiesβ pockets and put people back to work. This plan can meet the urgent needs of the American people and help our country through these difficult times. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to listen to the people they represent and pass this critical legislation.
Although we are going through difficult times, I want to reassure you that help is on the way. If you need assistance with a federal agency, please reach out to my office.