Philadelphia, – City Council President Darrell L. Clarke (5th District) today issued the following statement following Congress’ passage of the American Rescue Plan:
“The news out of Washington today – the House just passed a $1.9 Trillion American Rescue Plan – is terrific news for the country and for Philadelphia.
In addition to $1,400 stimulus checks for qualifying Philadelphians, and an extension of $300 weekly unemployment benefits, this giant rescue plan will cut child poverty in half in our country this year.
In Philadelphia, where we struggle with one of the highest poverty rates in the nation, the American Rescue Plan’s support for qualifying families will children could lift an estimated 59,000 children out of poverty.
As our city strives to lift 100,000 Philadelphians out of poverty over the next four years – our “Moonshot” Poverty Action Plan – this rescue package is an enormous lift to our efforts to address systemic inequalities revealed by the pandemic.
This plan passed by the House and Senate also includes aid to state and local governments hit hard by declining tax revenues caused by the economic impact of COVID-19. According to estimates from Federal partners in Washington, as much as $1.4 Billion in aid should be coming to Philadelphia. That is very welcome news as we enter a city budget season looking for ways to close a large budget gap.
We thank the House members and Senators who voted for the American Rescue Plan, and look forward to President Biden signing this vital, historic legislation into law later this week.”
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