Editor’s note: On Saturday, March 6, 2021, the Senate passed its version of the American Rescue Plan Act, 50-49.
Congresswoman Cheri Bustos joined MSNBC Live with Kendis Gibson and Lindsey Reiser to discuss the American Rescue Plan Act. The big and bold package passed the House of Representatives on Saturday, February 27, 2021. It would deliver COVID-19 relief to Illinois families and provide support for vaccines, resources to schools to help them reopen, and essential services in towns and Cities and more.
“In the Congressional District I serve 101,000 people…have contracted coronavirus. We have 113,000 children–kids–who haven’t been able to return to school full-time. In the State of Illinois, we now have 20,000 Illinoisans who have lost their lives….There just has to be a real sense of urgency!
“We’ve got to get to work here,” she stated. “President Biden understands that. The momentum is with [him] to get this signed into law.
“I supported [the American Rescue Plan Act,] because we need to have that additional unemployment help. We need that additional $1400 that is going to go to families. We need to make sure that we can resume the help at the very granular level back to our towns, for trash collection and snow plowing; for making sure our Police Officers and Fire Fighters are not laid off.”