Ron Johnson Threatens to Destroy the Bill Despite its Widespread Support from Wisconsinites
In response to Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) threatening to use procedural tricks to delay the passage of the American Rescue Plan, Protect Our Care’s Coronavirus War Room Director Zac Petkanas released the following statement:
“Despite overwhelming support from Wisconsinites for the passage of the American Rescue Plan, Senator Ron Johnson is threatening to use procedural tricks to try to kill legislation funding $1,400 checks, faster vaccine distribution, affordable health care and school reopenings.
“Shame on him.
“Senator Johnson should be listening to Wisconsinites who just want this crisis to be over. Sadly, it’s all too clear that Senator Johnson would rather play political games than put the American Rescue Plan on President Biden’s desk and get real economic relief to the people he claims to represent.”
BACKGROUND: Fact Sheet: Wisconsin & The American Rescue Plan
Wisconsin Could Benefit From $10 Billion Under the American Rescue Plan
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When the Senate passes President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan, Wisconsin could benefit from roughly $10 billion in funding from the federal government to support schools, provide rental assistance, ramp up vaccinations and testing, and fund childcare and state and local aid.
The American Rescue Plan includes $170 billion for K-12 and higher education, including $130 billion to enable K-12 schools to open safely during the pandemic. Another $35 billion would go toward higher education, including financial assistance for students. The remaining $5 billion would go to governors to use for any level of education in their states. According to NEA estimates, Wisconsin could receive $2.1 billion in school funding to ensure that schools can open up safely.
The ARP also creates a $25 billion fund to assist child-care providers in financial distress, including those facing costs to improve safety amid the pandemic. Based on its share of the US population, Wisconsin could receive roughly $438 million from this fund, which could help alleviate soaring child care costs for Wisconsin families.
Wisconsin’s Vaccine And Testing Operation Will Ramp Up Significantly With Additional Funds
The American Rescue Plan devotes $20 billion to a national vaccination program in partnership with states, localities, tribes and territories and includes $50 billion to buy rapid tests, expand lab capacity, and help schools and local governments conduct more tests. Based on its proportion of the total US population, Wisconsin could benefit from roughly $1.2 billion in support for vaccination and testing, not to mention President Biden’s aim to deploy mobile vaccination units to rural, hard-to-reach areas.
Wisconsin Could See Billions In State And Local Aid From The American Rescue Plan
The American Rescue Plan includes $350 billion in state and local funding. According to the House Oversight committee, Wisconsin will receive $3.2 billion and localities in the state will receive $2.3 billion. Wisconsin can use such aid to restore funding to agencies that previously faced cuts — like the Department of Health Services and the Department of Corrections — while also scaling up the state’s coronavirus response.
More Than 100,000 Wisconsinites Could See Rental Assistance From The American Rescue Plan
The American Rescue Plan extends the eviction and foreclosure moratorium through September and includes $25 billion to help renters and small landlords with back rent and $5 billion for paying energy and water bills. Based on its proportion of the US population, Wisconsin could receive $525 million in rental assistance funding.
- About 125,000 Wisconsinites Are Behind On Rent, While 70,000 Think They Are Likely To Be Evicted Within Two Months. “About 125,000, or 14%, of Wisconsin renters are behind on rent, according to the latest US Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey. Of those, nearly 70,000 think they are either somewhat or very likely to be evicted within two months.” [Up North News, 1/21/21]
ARP’s Stimulus Payments And Extended Unemployment Benefits Will Help Millions Of Wisconsinites Who Are Facing The Pandemic’s Economic Fallout
The American Rescue Plan includes direct stimulus payments of $1,400. The plan will extend federal unemployment benefits through September, including for self-employed or contract workers and adds a $400-a-week federal supplement to state unemployment insurance payments. Roughly 3 million Wisconsinites received stimulus payments from previous funding rounds and tens of thousands of Wisconsinites will benefit from extended federal unemployment payments.