Louisiana Democratic Party Highlights Benefits of American Rescue Act

The American Rescue Act, a $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill signed into law by President Joe Biden, is expected to bring significant benefits to the state of Louisiana, particularly for low-income families and communities. The bill provides funding for the national vaccine program, $300 enhanced unemployment benefits, and $1,400 stimulus checks to working people, benefiting 91% of Louisiana adults and 93% of Louisiana children. The child tax credit is also expanded to $3,600 for children under 6 and to $3,000 for children 6-17 years of age, helping over 1 million Louisiana households.

Key Takeaways:

• The American Rescue Act provides $300 enhanced unemployment benefits for displaced workers and $1,400 stimulus checks to working people, benefiting 91% of Louisiana adults and 93% of Louisiana children.
• The child tax credit is expanded from $2,000 to $3,600 for children under 6 and to $3,000 for children 6-17 years of age, helping over 1 million Louisiana households.
• The American Rescue Plan is expected to cut childhood poverty by more than half in Louisiana, a state that ranks near the top of the nation in poverty.
• Louisiana's K-12 schools will receive over $2.5 billion in funding, which can be used for safe in-person learning during the pandemic, and to fund tutoring and summer programs to recover learning lost to the pandemic.
• The State of Louisiana is expected to receive just over $3 billion in much-needed relief, which every Republican member of Louisiana's congressional delegation voted against.
• The American Rescue Act delivers $1.7 billion in local relief for Louisiana cities, parishes, and towns, with New Orleans set to receive $375 million, one of the nation's largest shares of funding for a city of its size.
• Despite opposition from officials like Congressman Steve Scalise and Senators John Kennedy and Bill Cassidy, rural communities like Ouachita Parish, Lincoln Parish, and their municipalities will receive over $50 million in aid.

Statistics:

• $1.9 trillion: The total cost of the American Rescue Act
• 91%: The percentage of Louisiana adults who will benefit from the stimulus checks
• 93%: The percentage of Louisiana children who will benefit from the stimulus checks
• 1 million: The number of Louisiana households expected to benefit from the expanded child tax credit
• 70%: The percentage of tax benefits in the American Rescue Plan that go to households earning less than $91,000 a year
• 42%: The percentage decrease in childhood poverty expected in Louisiana due to the American Rescue Plan
• $2.5 billion: The amount of funding allocated to Louisiana's K-12 schools
• $3 billion: The amount of much-needed relief expected to be received by the State of Louisiana
• $1.7 billion: The amount of local relief delivered to Louisiana cities, parishes, and towns
• $375 million: The amount of funding allocated to New Orleans

Sources:

• The Louisiana Democratic Party
• The American Rescue Act
• President Joe Biden
• Senator John Kennedy
• Senator Bill Cassidy
• Congressman Steve Scalise
• Congressman Mike Johnson
• Congressman Garret Graves
• Congressman Clay Higgins
• The New York Times
• The Associated Press