UNITED STATES—On Wednesday, March 10, members of Congress voted and approved the final details of the $1.9 Trillion American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The relief package will provide a $1,400 check for individuals earning $75,000 or less, or couples earning no more than $150,000 with an adjusted gross income. A child tax credit is also included with an additional $3,000 for those with children ages 6-17 years of age. The child tax credit will be issued in $300 monthly installments.

The House of Representatives passed the legislation with a vote of 220-211. No Republicans voted for the bill and no Democrats voted against it. The lone Democrat that voted Nay in the House vote was Measure number 1319, the American Rescue act of 2021 on March 3, passed the Senate with a 50-49 vote. Dan Sullivan of Alaska did not vote.

All other Republicans voted against the package, including Senator Mitt Romney of Utah. All Democrats voted in favor of the stimulus package.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi issued a statement comparing the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to the 2010 Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare. More information may be found on her website.

“The American Rescue plan is a force for fairness and justice in America. This legislation is one of the most transformative and historic bills any of us will ever have the opportunity to support,” Pelosi stated.

Senate Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell chastised  Democrats for passing the nearly $2 trillion bill, with little going to the vaccine with only 9 percent of the funds going to the American people.

“This is just what a leading House Democrat admitted they would do back at the start of the crisis: Exploit the pandemic as a tremendous opportunity to restructure things to fit our vision. To give them credit, they never hid the ball,” McConnell continued.

“That is how you get a 628-page bill that costs nearly $2 trillion, but only 9 percent addresses the fight against the virus itself and only 1 percent, 1 percent for the lifesaving vaccines that are ending this nightmare as we speak,” McConnell stated.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy tweeted: “Stop calling it a COVID relief bill.” McCarthy pointed out the benefits that Pelosi will get as her home district of San Francisco will pay-off the majority of San Francisco’s $650 million budget deficit.

“None of that money is to fund reopening,” and he cited pay-outs to illegal immigrants, funding Amtrak, Federal employees get an extra $21,000 for coping with virtual school, but not the parents outside of Washington that struggling through job loss, and schooling their children.

According to reports, the bill was to include payment for a bridge between the Bay Area and Canada, but it has been included in the final draft.

According to Congress.gov, the bill has been placed on the desk of President Joe Biden to sign.

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