Congresswoman Cori Bush Votes to Pass the Budget Resolution, a Crucial Step in Expediting COVID Relief

Press Release

Today, Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01) voted to pass S. Con. Res. 5, the Fiscal Year 2021 Budget Resolution, a key tool in speeding up COVID relief for all Americans. This budget resolution ensures Congress can quickly pass a relief bill that will begin to meet the full scale of the dual health and economic crises caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Passing this budget resolution is a critical first step towards ensuring we can provide more relief to people across Missouri's First District, especially our Black and brown communities who have been disproportionately impacted by this pandemic and economic crisis," said Congresswoman Cori Bush. "This resolution will allow my colleagues and I on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform to secure long overdue funding that our local and state governments urgently need. Together, we will continue to demand equitable vaccine distribution, resources to secure safe and stable shelter for our unhoused neighbors, and expanded tax credits that will help to alleviate childhood poverty. We will also work to ensure that all those hurting because of these dual crises can get the relief they need, including adult dependents and our undocumented community. And--although they are not included in The American Rescue Plan--I will not stop fighting for $2,000 monthly, retroactive checks. These are not stimulus checks; they are survival checks. St. Louis--I will continue working with the Biden-Harris administration to ensure we get the help we need to address this once-in-a-century pandemic."

About S. Con. Res. 5 & The American Rescue Plan

S. Con. Res. 5 is a joint House-Senate FY 2021 budget resolution which will allow Congress to move forward with the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan by providing reconciliation instructions to 12 House committees and 11 Senate committees that have jurisdiction over some portion of the plan.

The American Rescue Plan includes funding for a national vaccination program, more testing and contact tracing, and additional personal protective equipment and other critical supplies. This plan will provide direct housing and nutrition assistance, expand access to safe and reliable child care and affordable health care, and will extend and expand Unemployment Insurance. The package will support small businesses and protect the jobs of first responders, frontline public health workers, teachers, transit workers and other essential workers. It also provides direct assistance to American families.  

This plan will provide relief to people in St. Louis and across America who are hurting. Experts agree that failing to act in this moment will only serve to prolong an economic crisis that has hit low-income families and communities of color hardest. This is a dire situation for millions of American families, and our government's response must be bold and must be swift.

Source