NACo Legislative Analysis for Counties: President Biden’s COVID-19 Rescue Plan
Upcoming Events
Related News
President Biden's nearly $2 trillion coronavirus rescue package is part of a two-part strategy, designed to support households, businesses and state and local governments through the pandemic.
Most notably, the American Rescue Plan calls on Congress to provide $350 billion in emergency funding for state, local and territorial governments to keep front-line public-sector workers on the job and paid, while also effectively utilizing additional federal resources in the plan to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine, scale testing, reopen schools and maintain other vital services.
The plan contains many county priorities, including: implementing a national COVID-19 vaccination program, increased food assistance and emergency funding for child care, small businesses, unemployment benefits, rental assistance and public transit. Other provisions include new investments to protect our nation against cyber-attacks and re-open schools safely.
Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, America’s counties have taken the lead in both responding to the public health crisis and bolstering our economic recovery from this national emergency. As strong allies in the federal-state-local partnership, we have called for direct and flexible federal funding to allow counties to best serve our residents.
Counties applaud this much-needed plan that recognizes the vital, frontline role of America’s counties in mitigating and ending the COVID-19 pandemic. This plan is a significant step in addressing the urgent needs of our nation’s county governments as we continue to provide essential services to more than 300 million residents.
NACo’s new analysis highlights relevant components of President Biden’s COVID-19 rescue plan for county governments, outlining provisions of significance for county policy priorities.