Meng Sends Transformational Covid Relief Package to President Biden's Desk

Press Release

U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens) a member of the House Appropriations Committee, announced today that she helped pass the nearly $2 trillion American Rescue Plan Act (H.R. 1319) early this afternoon in the House of Representatives. The measure will now go to President Biden's desk for his signature.

"After a year since the pandemic has ravaged communities across the nation, I am relieved and grateful beyond measure to finally be able to say: "Help is on the way." The American Rescue Plan Act is a life-saving legislation that will defeat the virus, put vaccines in people's arms, help struggling restaurants afford their bills, survival money into families' pockets, children safely back into the classrooms, and people -- especially women and moms -- back to work," said Meng. "The devastation of the pandemic over the last year has resulted in over 500,000 deaths and infected nearly 30 million people. My congressional district was at the nexus of the epicenter. I will never forget crying with the health care workers who called me pleading for help; the children who were locked out of the classroom because they didn't have internet access; or the moms who screamed out for help. Our nation has been facing multiple crises: public health pandemic; economic; and caregiving.

Thanks to Congressional Democrats', and President Biden, we have a plan that will finally rescue our nation out of this nightmare. In order to help our country recover, we need to crush the virus, once and for all. This plan will also cut child poverty in half. I'm especially proud the American Rescue Plan includes my bill for internet access for families, and a number of provisions of my Marshall Plan for Moms. This pandemic has made a colossal impact in the lives of every single person across our nation. We need a solution that meets this moment -- and the American Rescue Plan does just that. I look forward to President Biden signing it into law."

Meng has also led legislation with Senator Markey to help close the digital divide during COVID-19; her and Senator Markey's legislation is included in the nearly $2 trillion relief package. Meng has also led an initiative to urge Congress to develop a Marshall Plan for Moms that calls for a transformative investment to help mothers who have been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The American Rescue Plan Act H.R. 1319 passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 220 to 211. The measure heads to President Biden's desk for signature.

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