March 18, 2021

For Illinois Families Help Is On The Way, Rep. Casten Highlights Key Wins for Illinois in Historic American Rescue Plan

March 18, 2021 – Last week, Rep. Casten joined fellow Democrats to pass the landmark American Rescue Plan and send it to President Biden's desk for his signature. Today, Rep. Casten proudly highlights the vital resources that Illinois families and communities will receive to crush the virus, put vaccines in people's arms, money in people's pockets, children safely back in school and workers back in jobs.

Casten said, "For over a year, this pandemic and economic crisis have devastated Illinois families and small businesses for over a year—leaving 468,000 unemployed and one in eight children without enough to eat. After months of fighting to ensure the American Rescue Plan included sufficient funding for our state, I'm proud to have helped secure more than $5.2 billion in relief for Illinois to safely reopen our K-12 schools, $13.7 billion in relief for our state and localities, economic impact payments for over 80 percent of Illinoisans, and additional relief for the families of 2.5 million children across our state through the Child Tax Credit that will lift 153,000 Illinois children out of poverty."

Casten continued, "With the passage of the American Rescue Plan, not only will we get our kids back in school, our small businesses back to bustling, and our economy back to booming in less than one year instead of four, but we'll emerge from this crisis with an economy that's stronger, more equitable and poised for growth for years to come."

Over the weekend, Rep. Casten held a telephone town hall to talk through the American Rescue Plan, all the good it will do for our community, and take questions from constituents. To watch, click here.

 

The pandemic and economic crisis have had a severe impact on Illinois:

  • Since the pandemic began, more than 1.1 million Illinoisans have been infected with COVID-19 and more than 23,000 have died;
  • The unemployment rate in Illinois is 8%, up from 3.6% before the pandemic.
  • Since February 2020, more than 468,000 fewer Illinoisans are employed.
  • 860,000 adults – 11% of all adults in the state – report not having enough food to eat. This includes 536,000 adults living with children, or 17% of all Illinois adults living with children, who report that the children in their household do not have enough to eat.
  • An estimated 525,000 Illinois renters or 35% of renters are not caught up on rent.
  • An estimated 3.1 million adults or 35% of all adults statewide report having difficulty covering normal household expenses.

But for Illinois families, communities and small businesses, President Biden's American Rescue Plan will save lives and livelihoods with targeted state and local relief:

  • $8.2 billion in state fiscal relief;
  • $5.2 billion in local fiscal relief;
  • More than $5.2 billion in relief for Illinois K-12 schools;
  • Economic impact payments of up to $1,400 per person for more than 7.5 million Illinois adults and 3 million children. This is 85% percent of all adults in the state and 83% percent of all children in the state.;
  • Additional relief of up to $1,600 per child through the Child Tax Credit to the families of 2.5 million children, lifting 153,000 Illinois children out of poverty;
  • Additional relief of up to nearly $1,000 through the Earned Income Tax Credit to 620,000 childless Illinois workers, including many on the frontline; and
  • Marketplace health insurance premiums that are $1,266 lower per month for a 60-year old Illinois couple earning $75,000 per year.

And the Biden American Rescue Plan delivers robust resources for every American:

  • Put Vaccines in Arms: The plan mounts a national vaccination program that includes setting up community vaccination sites nationwide and addressing disparities facing communities of color. It also scales up testing and tracing, addresses shortages of personal protective equipment and other critical supplies, invests in high-quality treatments and addresses health care disparities.
  • Put Money in People's Pockets: The plan finishes the job on the President's promise to provide $2,000 in direct assistance to households across America with checks of $1,400 per person, following the $600 down payment enacted in December. The plan also provides direct housing assistance, nutrition assistance, expands access to safe and reliable child care and affordable health care, extends Unemployment Insurance, expands the Child Tax Credit and improves the Earned Income Tax Credit.
  • Put Children Safely Back in School: The plan delivers $170 billion for education and $45 billion for child care providers nationally. This includes a $130 billion investment in K-12 school re-opening and making up for lost time in the classroom, with funds that can be used to reduce class sizes, modify spaces so that students and teachers can socially distance, improve ventilation, implement more mitigation measures and provide personal protective equipment. The plan also provides more than $40 billion for higher education.
  • Put People Back in Jobs: The plan provides crucial support for the hardest-hit small businesses, especially those owned by entrepreneurs from racial and ethnic backgrounds that have experienced systemic discrimination, 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.

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