Help Is On The Way – Key Wins for Florida

Washington, D.C. – Last week, Rep. Demings joined fellow Democrats to pass the landmark American Rescue Plan and send it to President Biden’s desk for his signature.  Today, Rep. Demings highlights the vital resources that Florida 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.

Said Rep. Demings: “Hope is on the horizon and help is on the way. Democrats’ American Rescue Plan will put money in pockets, shots in arms, people back to work, and children back in school safely. I am proud of the leadership shown by President Biden and Congressional Democrats and am disappointed that not a single GOP Member of Congress joined us to pass this critical relief despite overwhelming bipartisan support from the public.

“COVID and the economic crisis have devastated Florida families and small businesses, and the American Rescue Plan is coming none too soon. Our work is just beginning. We will keep fighting for every Floridian to recover from this crisis.”

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

• Since the pandemic began, more than 1.9 million people have been infected with COVID-19 and more than 32,000 people have died.
• Comparing January of this year to January of last year, 529,854 fewer people are employed.
• A third of Florida households report likelihood of eviction and trouble meeting household expenses.
• Two million Floridian adults report not having enough food to eat. 893,000 adults with children report that their family doesn’t have enough food.

 Democrats’ American Rescue Plan will save lives and livelihoods in Florida:

• $9.2 billion in state fiscal relief
• $7.6 billion in local fiscal relief
• More than $7 billion in relief for K-12 schools
• Economic impact payments of up to $1,400 per person (above the $600 per person provided in December) for more than 14 million adults and 4.9 million children. This is 89% of all adults in the state and 89% of all children in the state.
• Additional relief of up to $1,600 per child through the Child Tax Credit to the families of 3.8 million children, lifting 272,000 children out of poverty
• Additional relief of up to nearly $1,000 through the Earned Income Tax Credit to 1.3 million childless workers, including many in frontline jobs
• Marketplace health insurance premiums that are $1,410 lower per month for a 60-year old couple earning $75,000 per year

Democrats’ 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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