The COVID-19 public health crisis has left millions of families and individuals struggling to afford food and keep a roof overhead, while also continuing to perform essential work for our communities. Congress has taken important first steps in providing relief last year, but much more is needed.
President Biden’s Covid-19 relief proposal, the American Rescue Plan, provides this much needed support that communities have been awaiting over the last year. The plan is currently making its way through Congress, which means your voice is needed now. Reach out to our Nebraska delegation to let them know what Nebraskans need to make ends meet.
The American Rescue Plan includes these important provisions that the House & Senate should keep intact as they draft their own relief bills:
- Expanding health care access & affordability
- Funding for a national vaccine program, expanded testing and access to vaccines for all community members regardless of immigration status
- Focus on reducing health disparities by expanding services in underserved communities
- Providing financial support to those struggling most, including extended unemployment and $1,400 economic assistance payments to many including mixed-status families
- Raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour
- Support for housing stability by continuing the eviction moratorium and providing funding for emergency rental and utilities assistance
- Extending the 15% SNAP increase to help keep food on the table
As this relief package makes its way through Congress, we urge our members to include these additional critical provisions:
- A process for citizenship for all essential workers, who are our family members and neighbors and continue to be on the frontlines of this pandemic. Immigrant Nebraskans are essential to our continued response and recovery.
- Inclusion of all immigrant Nebraskans in economic assistance payments retroactively and going forward.
- Enforceable workplace safety protections for Nebraskans who work in meat and poultry processing.
- Increased Medicaid funding for states to effectively respond to the health and economic crises brought on by the pandemic.
- Temporarily expanding the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit to provide financial support to dramatically reduce the number of children living in poverty.
Call Congress today at (402) 407-2329 to tell them about the issues above that are most important to you and urge them to act quickly to pass this legislation before assistance expires in March!
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Your advocacy and calls to Congress during this ongoing pandemic make a difference!