The Workers Circle Statement on Passage of American Rescue Plan Act

March 12, 2021

Contact: Lynsey Billet, lynsey@anatgerstein.com, 347-361-8449

(New York, NY) - Workers Circle CEO Ann Toback issues the following statement in on the passage of the “American Rescue Plan Act”:

“We applaud President Biden, Vice President Harris and the members of Congress who worked hard to pass the American Rescue Plan Act, providing much-needed relief to families, businesses, states, and cities. This bill takes an important step forward in rescuing many of those who have been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. In a departure from decades of failed ‘trickle down’ economic policies, over 54 percent of the Act’s relief money goes directly to poor and middle-class families to rebuild our economy from the ground up. Further, the plan’s economic and health provisions are investments in racial justice for Black and brown communities who have been disproportionately devastated by the pandemic. The Act is expected to reduce child poverty by more than 50 percent, an advance that is desperately needed and helped by the expansion of the child tax credit which should be made permanent.”

“We applaud the House for including a $15 minimum wage hike in their legislation and are disappointed that the Senate ultimately rejected this important way to achieve long-term economic recovery. The Workers Circle pledges to continue our work to secure this long-overdue minimum wage hike, and we commend the Biden Administration for its commitment to achieving this goal.”

“While the passage of the American Rescue Plan Act is an important milestone in helping American families and allows mixed status families to receive stimulus checks, the exclusion of most immigrant workers from this COVID-19 package is troubling and continues to compromise our nation’s recovery. Nearly 70 percent of undocumented workers labor as essential workers. They risk regular exposure to COVID-19 to keep our nation going and labor in the five essential professions that have experienced a 50% increase in mortality rate due to COVID-19. Immigrants are part of the very fabric of our nation and the Workers Circle will continue to fight for their inclusion in state and federal relief policies.”

“The American Rescue Plan Act will go a long way toward achieving the essential economic and public health recovery our nation needs after the devastating pandemic. We commend Majority Leader Schumer, Speaker Pelosi, and the Biden Administration for their leadership in passing this landmark legislation.”