Last Friday marked one year since President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan into law. This historic legislation drove our economic recovery, helped students safely return to their classrooms, and allowed Americans to get back to work. Moody's estimates that 4 million of the 7.4 million jobs created in the first year of the Biden-Harris Administration would not exist without the American Rescue Plan. Notably, since January 2021, we have created 467,000 jobs at the state and local levels and education jobs experienced the best growth on record.
State, local, and tribal leaders applauded the legislation today.
See below for what they're saying:
Governors
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey: "With the support of the Alabama Legislature, I'm proud to award $10 million of the State Fiscal Recovery Fund from the American Rescue Plan Act to establish COVID recovery grants for volunteer fire departments. #alpolitics" [Tweet, 3/7/22]
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont: "Nearly one year after the American Rescue Plan passed, its positive impact is still felt in CT. Thank you to @POTUS and our congressional delegation for providing the resources to keep kids safely in school while uplifting workers and businesses during the darkest days of Covid." [Tweet, 3/8/22]
Nevada Governor Sisolak: "One year ago, with the support of @SenCortezMasto, @SenJackyRosen, @repdinatitus, @RepHorsford and @RepSusieLee the #AmericanRescuePlan became law. These funds supported the COVID response & we're laser focused on investing in critical issues for Nevadans, like housing." [Tweet, 3/11/22]
New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham: "A year ago today @POTUS enacted the #AmericanRescuePlan, delivering billions to support New Mexico. ARPA has made possible innovative investments in programs that reduce costs and build a stronger foundation for New Mexico families, including a historic expansion of child care… We enacted the single largest eligibility expansion in the history of New Mexico's child care assistance program, supporting tens of thousands more families. And we delivered $157 million to over 1,000 childcare businesses across the state, supporting providers & increasing pay." [Tweet, 3/11/22]
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf: "One year ago, the American Rescue Plan became law - sending Pennsylvania $13.72 billion to help us recover from the pandemic. Thank you to @POTUS and the federal lawmakers who made this plan happen. This support has been critical to our recovery… [Tweet thread, 3/11/22]
Vermont Governor Phil Scott: "Last year, using American Rescue Plan and state funds, we invested almost $100M for housing. With much more underway, we've already: • Added 800 homes • Are building 800 more • Helped over 1,300 families transition out of homelessness … This is important, but it's not been enough to help Vermonters find affordable housing. The good news is, we have 100s of millions in ARPA funds to continue this progress. We have to act now and need legislative support to pass this year's $145M proposed housing investment.2/2" [Tweet, 3/11/22]
Mayors
Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan: "Today is the one-year anniversary of the #AmericanRescuePlan. The relief money Albany received is not only helping us recover from the pandemic, but giving us the opportunity to further invest in our city so we can continue to be an #AlbanyForAll." / [Tweet, 3/11/22]
Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller: "…[ARPA] was a game-changer…especially [for] Albuquerque, because we could use it right away, and we could use it in the way we thought was best for our city… It remains to me the most helpful federal incentive or action that I've ever dealt with as a mayor." [Statement, 3/9/22]
Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan: "The ARPA funds are already making a big impact here in Akron. We recently announced over $1.3 million in grants to 11 local organizations working to prevent violence from occurring, stop the progression of violence, and rehabilitate individuals with a history of violent behavior. I believe it is our duty and responsibility to support organizations that are offering evidence-based programming to create a safer community, and the American Rescue Plan funding gives us the opportunity to do just that." [Tweet, 3/10/22]
Augusta Mayor Hardie Davis Jr.: "We know best how to distribute those dollars, how to meet the needs of people on the ground. And that was the key element that made these dollars so instrumental in coming to us at the time that they did. In Augusta, we used them for a number of things. Some challenges that we had, particularly in terms of law enforcement, being able to keep people - from a public safety and law enforcement perspective - on the ground." [Statement, 3/9/22]
Austin Mayor Steve Adler: "This week is the 1 year anniversary of the historic American Rescue Plan! States and cities received $350B for investments in workforce development, health care, and more. Here's one story detailing how #ATXCouncil dedicated $100M to combat homelessness." [Tweet, 3/9/22]
Baton Rouge Mayor Sharon Weston Broome: "American Rescue Plan is working for Baton Rouge! Thank you President Biden (@potus) for your leadership on this important investment! @WhiteHouse • $40M+ Drainage Improvements • $14M Community Violence Intervention • $2M Economic Development & Tourism • $2M Blight Elimination" [Tweet, 3/9/22]
Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer: "[ARPA funds were] a game-changer for so many communities like ours. Our city is poised to receive about $12 million, which we're going to redeploy in improved infrastructure, community policing, and other public safety efforts and creative initiatives for businesses." [Statement, 3/9/22]
Boise Mayor Laura McLean: "Through a combination of regulatory changes and funds from the #AmericanRescuePlan, we made it easier for childcare facilities to operate. By allowing for temporary licensing, paying application fees & assisting with safety classes we removed barriers for childcare services." [Tweet, 3/11/22]
Brownsville Mayor Trey Mendez: "Throughout the country, the American Rescue Plan has enabled dozens of other local officials to tailor investments where we need it most…." [Op-Ed, 3/1o/22]
Burnsville Mayor Elizabeth Kautz: "Now for ARPA funds, because we only got about $8 million in my city, and so what we used the first $6 million is for cost recovery for lost revenue… I have a power plant [and natural gas plant] in my city, so we have some very critical assets. We need to make sure that we have those assets still running, because all of us, all of us, need electric power." [Statement, 3/9/22]
Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb: "We received over $511 million dollars from President Biden through the American Rescue Plan… and I'm using that capital to do a couple things: number one, we've already authorized over $20 million to eradicate the digital divide, we've raised already over $100 million to eradicate the lead paint crisis…[and] I intend to launch an Office of Economic Recovery working with public and private partners from all across our community to make sure we can leverage this capital to truly create the right recovery that can be an inclusive economic comeback for our city in the future." [Statement, 3/9/22]
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther: "ICYMI: On Monday, the city and county announced $8M from the American Rescue Plan for small businesses in underserved communities led by minority, women and veteran entrepreneurs… These funds would not have been possible without the American Rescue Plan, which tomorrow celebrates its one-year anniversary. #ARPA @usmayors #Columbus #community" [Tweet, 3/10/22]
Dayton Mayor Jeffrey J. Mims, Jr: A year ago today, @POTUS signed the #AmericanRescuePlan into law. In Dayton, we are using our $138M in funds to remove blight, improve neighborhood amenities, construct a new Fire-Police station, aide small and minority-owned businesses, and catalyze economic recovery. @usmayors [Tweet, 3/11/22]
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock: "So, ARPA helped us to begin to restore those critical services and bring back our employees - everyone was furloughed for the most part, except for our uniforms…Then, we began to restore and invest in our businesses, in our community-based organizations so that they could also be responsive to our community. And we really heavily invested in housing and shelter, particularly for our most vulnerable - our homeless." [Statement, 3/9/22]
Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie: "A lot of these people started working virtually. Well, what does that do to all those businesses you know whether they're restaurants or retail or whatever that people are starting to not frequent? And so they started laying people off, and in some cases shutting down because their workers became ill with the pandemic and COVID. And so there were lots of people that needed a lot of help. And you know they were having to try to keep a roof over their heads, make rental payments, make house payments, put food on the table." [Statement, 3/9/22]
Dubuque Mayor Brad Cavanaugh: "On the 1 year anniversary of its' enactment, Mayor Cavanagh recognizes the impact #AmericanRescuePlan funds have had on Dubuque and will continue to have through funding future priorities. Learn more about the importance and allocation of funds." [Tweet, 3/11/22]
Edina Mayor Jim Hovland: "We thought we had great broadband coverage in our community, but we found out there were blind spots, bad spots for kids, so we dedicated $500,000 of that 2.4 million… [so] that they'd have the kind of access to the internet we wanted them to have… In the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd, we set up… the use of a social worker to help on some police calls where officers were being asked to cover mental health challenges… We committed about $400,000 of that [ARPA] money to enhancing that operation within our police department and also assisting our school district and our community with some outside mental health services, either for kids or families that need some assistance." [Statement, 3/9/22]
Finley Mayor Christina Muryn: "With the American Rescue Plan dollars, we are being able to provide some grant opportunities to support our nonprofits in a variety of ways, certainly focusing on basic needs: food, housing, education, getting folks back to work, and childcare… [including] things like Cancer Patient Services, an organization that helps individuals who are struggling with medical bills while going through cancer treatment, or Hope House, which helps individuals that have been displaced or are seeking refuge from domestic violence." [Statement, 3/9/22]
Fremont Mayor Lily Mei: "Having that ability to leverage and utilize ARPA to balance our budget allowed us to then focus some of those funds, along with the combination of county and state, to help with rental assistance. As of January to date, we have used almost $11 million of our $16 million to help provide rental assistance for over 770 families." [Statement, 3/9/22]
Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer: "I was asked by the White House and Treasury Sec. Janet Yellen to participate in a news conference with local leaders from around the nation about the American Rescue Plan… I joined the news conference to demonstrate the importance of these dollars in our community that will enhance our public safety efforts, address our homeless population, and invest in underserved neighborhoods. I also talked about the impact on our business community and the much-needed relief provided to our struggling small businesses, especially restaurants." [Tweet, 3/9/22]
Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss, Chair Urban Core Mayors: "Michigan's urban core cities were at the heart of the state's pandemic response… One year ago, the American Rescue Plan Act gave us hope that there was light at the end of the tunnel. This federal stimulus is allowing our cities to emerge from the pandemic on a stronger footing by using these funds to help build up our small businesses and refill out downtowns. We are also able to strategically invest in core issues like housing and infrastructure so that our children can see the benefit of these funds long into the future." [Statement, 3/11/22]
Grove City Mayor Richard L. "Ike" Stage: "The ARPA stimulus has been a tremendous help for our community The funds were vital to the repair and update of our aging stormwater sewer infrastructure in our older neighborhoods." [Tweet, 3/10/22]
Hallandale Beach Mayor Joy Cooper: "Once we did all those calculations, we saw that within two-to-three years, the rate we were going, facing COVID closing businesses, all the other stresses and having to keep employees well and keep them paid, we were facing bankruptcy. So without the support of the federal government - which all our residents are very grateful for - as a smaller city, we really were facing really dire times, so we have really applied every, every penny of ARPA to make sure that we can balance our budget." [Statement, 3/9/22]
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner: "We stood to lose or lay off nearly 2,000 employees if it were not for CARES funding and then the ARPA funding. It was just that bad. It would have forced us to lay off municipal workers… It was the ARPA funding that was primarily used to plug that $200 million shortfall… Do you want to lose police officers? The answer is 'no.' Do you want to lose firefighters? The answer is 'no'.' Do you need your solid waste workers, the people who pick up the trash every week? The answer is 'absolutely'… You take away the people, you take away the services." [Statement, 3/9/22]
Huntington Mayor Steve Williams: "We put together an extremely aggressive [economic revitalization] plan… I just knew what we had to do in order to transform our community. It had to be something that was bigger than what any small town would imagine doing. But the only way you're going to do that within a shortened time frame is it has to be big. Go big or don't go… The big worry that I had was 'how in God's name am I going to pay for this."… And then the Rescue Plan came." [Statement, 3/9/22]
Irvine Mayor Farrah N. Khan: "With a commitment from @POTUS for mental health support & a visit by @SecBecerra discussing programs & services in Irvine, we're ready for more direct funding to help our community thrive. #Irvine #ARPA" [Tweet, 3/9/22]
Issaquah Mayor Mary Lou Pauly: "Today is the one-year anniversary of the passage of the #AmericanRescuePlan. The resources @cityofIssaquah received were a lifeline during the pandemic, giving us additional options to address the immediate needs of our community while paving the way for an inclusive recovery." [Tweet, 3/11/22]
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas: "…There is an organization in Kansas City called the KC Care Clinic. Their primary work…is working with people who are living with HIV and AIDS. And, early in the pandemic, of course, immunocompromised folks are an area of concern. Our ability to support KC Care through our federal funds has been a lifesaver for a lot of these folks, who, as I noted, weren't going to the doctor for a while, didn't know what part of society they could engage with, making sure they had access and consistent treatment throughout this crisis." [Statement, 3/9/22]
Lancaster Mayor David Scheffler: "The timing of these funds was important as we were able to quickly invest in a major water infrastructure project that was key to finalizing a significant economic development project for the region. These infrastructure investments can be very costly for cities but are vital to the lon-term success of our communities." [Statement, 3/11/22]
Lakewood Mayor Meghan George: "The City of Lakewood received $47 million from the American Rescue Plan Act. More than half of those dollars will be spent on necessary improvements to our century old water/sewer infrastructure. This allows for rate reductions for every resident and business owner in our city. Additionally, we have allocated roughly $1.6 million towards homelessness prevention. We continue to explore other uses for these dollars that will make the most impact for our community." [Tweet, 3/10/22]
Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird: "We used our American Rescue Plan funds, first and foremost, to help stabilize small businesses in Lincoln. We've allocated over $7 million in grants to small businesses… provide up to six months of rent and mortgage payments… And through our exit interviews with recipients of these funds, we've heard that this is what helped keep them in business. This is what's helping keep people employed who work in their companies. We've helped over 250 small businesses and micro businesses with those dollars from the American Rescue Plan. It really has been a lifeline for them." [Statement, 3/9/22]
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti: "On this day, a year ago, Congress passed the American Rescue Plan - a turning point for the country, and today Los Angeles is stronger for it. An extraordinary crisis demands an extraordinary response, Los Angeles could not have asked for a better partner than @POTUS." [Tweet, 3/9/22]
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer: "First and foremost, the ARPA funds were used to make sure that we could mitigate the impact of the pandemic as much as we possibly could. It literally was a lifesaver for our community. And then when you go beyond that to the type of economic uplift that ARPA has provided, and will provide even further, it allowed us to address challenges in our community that we've always dreamed of addressing, but we never had the resources to address. So it gives us the double impact of economic lift, and then also taking on big challenges for generational change in Louisville." [Statement, 3/9/22]
Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway: "Today is the one-year anniversary of the #AmericanRescuePlan becoming law! Communities like Madison have used these essential investments to address community needs. @leagueofcities' tracker shows how local recovery funds are being used: ow.ly/q9Va50Ihu22" [Tweet, 3/11/22]
Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland: "Honored to have Deputy Secretary of the Treasury @wallyadeyemo visit @memlawschool and thank him in person for his help with the American Rescue Plan, which helped us help over 14,000 families with rental and utility assistance during the pandemic." [Tweet, 3/9/22]
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors: "Mayors of all political persuasions recognized that for America to have a strong recovery, a strong federal investment in America's cities would be required… Republicans, Democrats, and Independents alike called on Washington to act, and mayors are grateful that our colleagues at the federal level heard our call and passed the American Rescue Plan Act one year ago today. Since this legislation was signed into law, mayors have been hard at work making sure these funds are used responsibly… Mayors look forward to continuing to responsibly implement these funds, and we thank lawmakers for working closely with mayors and making local funding a priority." [Statement, 3/11/22]
Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka: "Thanks to @POTUS' #AmericanRescuePlan, Newark has made continued investments in affordable housing, housing the homeless, violence reduction, guaranteed income, rental assistance, aid for small businesses and combating food insecurity, all while fighting against COVID. @usmayors" [Tweet, 3/9/22]
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell: "Today is the one-year anniversary of the passage of the #AmericanRescuePlan The relief money New Orleans received was a lifeline during the pandemic, giving us the resources to address the immediate needs that we faced & the opportunity to continue to invest in our city🎉💛" [Tweet, 3/11/22]
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf: "Today I joined fellow mayors to commemorate the 1 year anniversary of the #AmericanRescuePlan - TY @SpeakerPelosi, @POTUS + @VP. The #ARP was a lifeline to our cities + residents, and it helped us withstand the pandemic's devastating fiscal impacts" [Twitter, 3/10/22]
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor: "For the past year, the #AmericanRescuePlan has allowed the @CityofTampa to maintain services/programs without cuts or millage increases by filling revenue shortfalls of over $30 million! This critical funding has allowed us to make needed investments in affordable housing, (1/2)…public safety, sidewalks and resurfacing, and neighborhood parks – all of which will have a positive impact for years ahead. Today on #ARPA's first anniversary, I thank everyone involved in making it happen for our community, including @POTUS, @USRepKCastor, & @usmayors! (2/2)" [Tweet, 3/11/22]
Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt of Oklahoma City: "In Oklahoma City, we're getting about $120 million dollars through ARPA. We've already utilized it for some direct pandemic response. We worked with our City-County Health Department to build a drive-through vaccination and testing facility. . . We've also used it to continue our sewage surveillance program. But, we're also and probably predominantly going to use it for economic recovery…We still have communities that haven't fully recovered - certainly in minority communities and small business communities - so we're focused there with our ARPA dollars." [Statement, 3/9/22]
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer: "One year ago this week the American Rescue Plan Act was passed. Like my fellow @usmayors, I'm grateful for funding which has allowed @citybeautiful to launch initiatives like our RISE program that will connect residents to career opportunities." [Tweet, 3/10/22]
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney: "This week, we're marking the 1-year anniversary of the passage of the #AmericanRescuePlan. The ARP funds Philadelphia received were a lifeline during the pandemic, giving us resources to address our immediate needs and the opportunity to continue to invest in our city." [Twitter, 3/9/22]
Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego: "As we approach the 1-year anniversary of the #AmericanRescuePlan becoming law, I want to highlight how Phoenix has become stronger and more resilient because of this transformative legislation. The #AmericanRescuePlan assisted our city in expanding our existing Better Health Outcomes and Community Testing & Vaccines program, to continue providing access to tests and vaccinations through our Mobile Testing & Vaccination Units." [Thread, 3/9/22]
Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza: "The American Rescue Plan is helping our city rebuild after the economic devastation of the pandemic. On the one-year anniversary of the enactment of ARPA, I want to celebrate the progress we've made with the help of these relief funds, addressing some of our most pressing issues… These funds will continue to impact our city – from our tourism industry to enhanced programming and job opportunities for youth, and so much more. You can learn more and engage with the ARPA process in Providence by visiting pvdrescueplan.com." [Tweet, 3/11/22]
