Casten Announces Virtual Guest of Honor to Presidential Address
Downers Grove, IL - Rep. Sean Casten announced today that Stephanie Certain Matz, of Hawthorn Woods, Illinois, as his virtual Guest of Honor to President Biden's Joint Address to Congress this evening. Thanks to House Democrats, President Biden, and our public health workers' tireless commitment to vaccine distribution, Matz received her vaccine and hugged her children and grandchildren for the first time in over a year.
Tonight's Joint Address, President Biden's first speech to a Joint Session of Congress, marks 100 days into his first term. While COVID-19 safety protocols mean this year's in-person attendance will be mostly virtual, Casten said inviting Matz as his virtual guest is an important way to honor his constituents and lift up their stories.
"For over a year, we've been battling a public health crisis that has forced parents and grandparents into the unthinkable situation of not being able to visit their children and grandchildren," said Rep. Sean Casten. "After months spent fighting to pass the American Rescue Plan into law, it warms my heart to hear from grandparents like Stephanie who are finally able to hug their grandchildren again. In just 100 Days, we've delivered 8,942,127 vaccines into Illinoisans arms and put money into pockets, kids back in classrooms, and people in jobs."
"It is with great relief that I send heartfelt thanks to President Biden, Representative Casten, and the rest of the Democratic Congress for reigniting within me the spark of hope," said Matz. "The work you have done in three short months can fulfill the dreams, large and small, of all Americans. Hoping again is a powerful restorative, so I'm grateful to you for that. Only one thing is more powerful, and that is the indescribable joy we experienced removing masks and hugging our children and grandchildren for the first time in over a year. Your fast-action distributing the vaccine was a dream come true for my family. Thank you for changing my life in the first 100 Days!"
THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN: HELP IS HERE
100 Days into Congress's work with President Biden, the American Rescue Plan is delivering shots in arms, money in pockets, children in schools and people in jobs.
SHOTS IN ARMS
- The United States has administered more than 215 million vaccine doses and counting. More than 85 million Americans are fully vaccinated. Half of the adults in the U.S. have received at least one dose.
- Over 8,942,127 vaccines have been distributed to Illinoisans, including 748,642 in DuPage county. [HERE]
- The American Rescue Plan also recently sent $6 billion to Community Health Centers across the country to help them distribute vaccines, including $269,917,750 to support 45 health centers in Illinois.
MONEY IN POCKETS
- About 159 million stimulus payments have made their way into the hands of hardworking Americans with most eligible families receiving $1,400 per family member [HERE], including 7.5 million adults and 2 million children in Illinois [HERE]
- The American Rescue Plan provided a Child Tax Credit for over 2.5 million children in Illinois, lifting 153,000 Illinois children out of poverty. [HERE]
CHILDREN IN SCHOOLS
- The American Rescue Plan invested $130 billion to help schools reopen safely.
- The American Rescue Plan also recently sent $39 billion to states to help keep childcare providers on the job and lower costs for working families, including $1.29 billion for providers in Illinois. [HERE]
PEOPLE IN JOBS
- The economy created nearly 1 million jobs in March. In fact, "Job growth boomed in March at the fastest pace since last summer, as stronger economic growth and an aggressive vaccination effort contributed to a surge in hospitality and construction jobs," according to CNBC.