American Rescue Plan Accomplishments

President Joe Biden signed the American Rescue Plan into law on March 11, 2021. One year later, we are continuing to see and feel the results across our communities. Biden’s American Rescue Plan has provided relief to our nurses and healthcare professionals, provided funding for new healthcare and health access initiatives, and lowered health insurance premiums for millions. It provided resources to reopen our schools and ensure they are safe and welcoming for students and educators, and it allowed all students to have access to school meals, regardless of whether they were attending in person or remotely. Biden’s plan invested in COVID-19 testing, tracing, research and vaccine deployment. The vast majority of Americans received stimulus checks to help ease the pandemic’s economic burden. And it doesn’t stop there: Biden’s American Rescue Plan also provided billions of dollars in child care relief for families, housing assistance, broadband, workforce development and more. It is clear that elections matter; we know that when we show up and we vote, our elected leaders will have our backs. We have seen how Biden’s American Rescue Plan has helped ensure an equitable recovery over the last year, but we know we must continue to show up and push Congress to continue these programs that are a lifeline for millions of Americans to continue to thrive.

Under the American Rescue Plan:

• 164 million people received direct stimulus payments of up to $1,400.
• The child tax credits provided more than 36 million households with nearly 90 percent of children in the United States a tax cut, cutting the child poverty rate in half.
• Historic investments were made in K-12 schools, which—along with the administration’s use of its full force to get educators, staff and students vaccinated—enabled 95 percent of public elementary and middle schools to be open in person, full time, in early January 2022, compared with just 46 percent in January 2021.
• An unprecedented $122 billion was distributed to help schools reopen safely and support students, and the administration developed guidance to help schools use these funds for their most pressing needs, including addressing students’ mental health, students’ learning needs and school staffing shortages. 
• Immediate needs from the pandemic and economic recession were addressed by expanding social infrastructure through the child tax credit, unemployment insurance and food assistance. These investments kept Americans from poverty in 2021, showcasing the power of equitable public investment. 
• There was historic job growth, millions of children were lifted out of poverty, and families and the economy were helped to stay afloat amid the ongoing pandemic. 
• Families across America have saved 40 percent off their monthly health premiums. 
• According to Moody’s Analytics, the #AmericanRescuePlan was responsible for:
  • 4 million additional jobs;
  • 2 percent lower unemployment rate;
  • A 5.7 percent increase in economic growth, instead of 3 percent; and
  • Preventing a double-dip recession in the spring of 2021.
• Costs for Affordable Care Act health insurance were lowered, and 4.5 million more people got healthcare.
• States received more money for Medicaid to reduce waiting lists and improve home-based care.
• $120 billion was provided to help schools in all 50 states stay open for in-person learning and improve school infrastructure and ventilation systems. 
• State and local governments received $350 billion in flexible grants to respond to COVID-19.