This week, workers, families, and city officials are once again praising President Biden and congressional Democrats’ bipartisan Build Back Better agenda that will expand education, invest in child care, rebuild our crumbling infrastructure, and help the communities hit hardest by COVID-19.
Stories from across the country, in key swing states like Georgia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, showcase the Biden-Harris Administration’s plan to usher in a new era of economic growth that benefits everyone, not just those at the top.
Poll after poll shows the American people overwhelmingly support the infrastructure and Build Back Better legislation.
President Biden won the most votes out of any candidate in American history. Now is the time to act on this mandate with legislation that lowers the cost of prescription drugs, fixes our broken roads and bridges, institutes a historic middle-class tax cut, and tackles climate change.
Read what people are saying about the Biden-Harris Build Back Better agenda:
NATIONAL:
Associated Press –– Biden Plan Seeks To Expand Education, From Pre-K To College
- “The education provisions in Biden’s “Build Back Better” proposal would serve as a bedrock for schooling opportunities for countless Americans and test the nation’s willingness to expand federal programs in far-reaching ways. Equity is a focus, as it seeks to remove barriers to education that for decades have resulted in wage and learning disparities based on race and income. And by expanding early education and child care programs, it aims to bring back workers, especially women, who left jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic to look after children whose schools were closed.”
Axios –– “Once-In-A-Lifetime” Hope For Cities In Infrastructure Bill
- “The nation’s mayors are emphatic that this week’s hotly debated infrastructure legislation— even if ultimately watered down — represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make cities more livable, modern and socially equitable. Why it matters: While the money wouldn’t go directly to city coffers, it would fund everything from bridge and road repairs to the development of light rail and broadband — bringing massive numbers of jobs and daily-living improvements along the way.”
GEORGIA:
Atlanta Journal-Constitution –– Gwinnett County Starts Allocating $181.9 Million Of Federal Relief Funds
- “Gwinnett County officials have drafted high-level plans for spending approximately $181.9 million in COVID-19 relief funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. The county plans to spend most of the money on “equity-focused services” to help underserved areas, addressing negative economic affects of the pandemic, public health responses and recouping lost revenue. […] Funding allocations could change depending on needs of various programs and projects, said Finance Director Buffy Alexzulian. The county has received about $91 million of the funds, expecting the rest to come next year around May.”
OHIO:
Cleveland.com –– Extra $600 Stimulus Check Available To Select Workers, Do You Qualify?
- “Workers in select industries could be eligible for additional stimulus checks of up to $600. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced $700 million in grant funding is available through the new Farm and Food Workers Relief program. The bulk of the money – some $680 million – will go to help farmworkers and meatpackers to help cover COVID pandemic-related health and safety costs. Those costs could include things such as personal protective equipment, childcare and expenses related to quarantine or testing.”
PENNSYLVANIA:
Pennsylvania Capitol Star –– Alle.Co. Port Authority Nabs $216M COVID Grant; Will Use Money To Recover From Pandemic Losses
- “U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced on Sept. 20 that the Port Authority of Allegheny County would be awarded $216.9 million in grant funds from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The grant funds are intended to aid transit agencies with maintaining their services, paying transit employees, and also to help agencies recover from COVID-19 pandemic losses.”
ABC 27 News –– Wolf Administration Announces Plan To Distribute $655 Million To Child Care Industry
- “The Wolf Administration announced plans to boost an industry that’s been crucial for many families. The plan is to distribute $655 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act to stabilize Pennsylvania’s child care industry. Licensed child care providers will be able to submit applications for one-time grants. The department says the grant money can be used to cover almost any expense needed to help operations and fight the impacts of COVID-19. Last year, Pennsylvania distributed $220 million dollars in federal COVID-19 aid to child care facilities that were hit hard by the pandemic.”
WISCONSIN:
Beloit Daily News –– Public Input Meeting On Beloit Pandemic Aid Set For Monday
- “The first step in potentially deciding how the City of Beloit spends federal pandemic assistance dollars will get underway during a meeting set for 6 p.m. Monday to allow residents to weigh in on the process. The city will receive $15.2 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. When the funding was announced last spring, Beloit city officials signaled there was no pre-determined use for the pandemic aid, with Finance Director Eric Miller calling the city’s windfall a ‘once in a lifetime’ influx of funding.”
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Published: Sep 28, 2021