Rescue Plan Passes House; Town Hall on Unemployment Benefits
Over the weekend, I proudly voted for the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, which would implement President Biden's Covid relief and economic rescue proposal. I spoke in favor of the bill in the House chamber – click here to watch the video. This bill includes:
- $1,400 stimulus checks to finish the job of delivering $2,000 relief payments
- More than the $20 billion President Biden requested for vaccine distribution and ensuring the vaccine is distributed equitably to low-income communities and people of color
- Housing assistance, food aid and a massive expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit
- Increasing the minimum wage to $15 per hour – I will continue to support this regardless of what the Senate does this month
- More than $47 billion to help small businesses
- An estimated $1.8 billion for Philadelphia schools to reopen safely for in-person learning and address the significant impact of the pandemic on students' education and well-being.
You can click here for more details. Now it's up to the Senate to act quickly on this bill, and I urge them to do so!
Friday: Town Hall on Unemployment Benefits
I invite you to join me this Friday, March 5 at 11 a.m. for an online town hall on unemployment benefits. The town hall should be viewable even if you aren't a Facebook member. Come learn about the various unemployment programs, how to navigate the process & how your elected officials can help! I'll be joined by:
- state Rep. Morgan Cephas from west Philadelphia, who serves on the Pennsylvania House Labor and Industry Committee;
- John Dodds, director, Philadelphia Unemployment Project;
- Two speakers from the state Department of Labor and Industry, which administers unemployment compensation in Pennsylvania.
If you are unable to participate in the town hall and need help with unemployment compensation, you can find and contact your state representative and state senator by clicking here.
You can register here for the town hall.
State of the District Report is Out!
In case you missed last week's town hall, my State of the District report is now available. It covers progress and priorities for the 3rd Congressional District in housing, health care and small business, and constituent services – such as the more than $6.5 million my staff has been able to save or recover for residents of the district from agencies such as the IRS, Social Security Administration and Department of Veterans Affairs. Click here to read the report for yourself!
More action in Washington: This week, the House is scheduled to pass two more major bills – I am a co-sponsor of both:
- For the People Act (H.R. 1) – this legislation is comprehensive, structural democracy reform. I believe we need to make it easier, not harder, to vote. You can learn more by clicking here.
- George Floyd Justice in Policing Act (H.R. 1280) – a comprehensive approach to hold police accountable, change the culture of law enforcement, empower our communities, and build trust between law enforcement and our communities by addressing systemic racism and bias to help save lives. You can learn more by clicking here.
Staying informed: To keep up with information and services between these updates, I invite you to follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – including updates on my Facebook and Instagram Stories. If you received this newsletter as a forward, click here to start receiving it straight to your own inbox.
Sincerely,
Dwight Evans
Member of Congress