Philadelphia, PA − March 6, 2021 − State Senator Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia/Montgomery), who also serves as the Democratic chairman of the state Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Senate passing the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Saturday:
The passage of the American Rescue Plan by the U.S. Senate today will have a tremendously positive impact for Pennsylvanians. Although much attention is placed on the needed direct stimulus checks and the weekly unemployment support, there is much more that we need to be celebrating and grateful for in this relief package.
The help for state and local governments is huge. The help for school districts is necessary to assist in bringing our schools back and to bring them back better than what they were before. The help for main street and historically disadvantaged business compliments the groundbreaking program that we created in Pennsylvania. And most importantly, the help with the fight against COVID-19. We can stop the virus, but we need federal help to do so. That help is provided in the American Rescue Plan.
There is so much more in this historic relief package that will help our children and their families. The pain from the pandemic has been huge. The magnitude of the response matches that pain and is so very necessary. Many thanks to our own Senator Bob Casey Jr., who led on this fight and refused to give in. Thanks to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for standing up for the people of this nation. We finally have someone in the White House who puts the people first.
We have learned a lot from this process. One of the things that we’ve learned is that voting matters. Politics and voting leads to policy. We made the right choice in Pennsylvania and in this nation back on November 3, 2020. And the right choice has led to a policy response in the American Rescue Plan that will make a significant positive difference in people’s lives. Yes, voting matters.
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