On March 11, President Joe Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 (P.L. 117-2) into law. TFG published a Special Report on P.L. 117-2 that provides a summary of key funding programs and provisions of interest to local governments.
Many of the federal departments and agencies that received additional or new funding for programs and financial assistance will begin issuing guidance for this funding over the coming weeks. This guidance information will be posted in the “Administration” section of the TFG Coronavirus Update and on TFG’s Coronavirus Federal Guidance webpage.
On March 11, in his first prime time address to the nation, President Biden marked the one-year anniversary of the coronavirus shutdown in the U.S. by highlighting the Administration’s efforts to address the pandemic. He called on states to make all adults eligible to receive the coronavirus vaccine by May 1, with the goal of returning to some semblance of normalcy by Independence Day, to “not only mark our independence as a nation, but we begin to mark our independence from this virus.”
The White House and Congress will now turn their attention towards crafting a massive infrastructure package. On March 12, the day after the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 was signed into law, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said, “Congress must work swiftly to build on the historic Biden American Rescue Plan….To that end, I have called upon the Chairs of the Committees of Jurisdiction to work with their Republican counterparts to craft a big, bold and transformational infrastructure package.”
TFG’s March 17 edition of Transportation Notes provides more details on the status of infrastructure package discussions on Capitol Hill.
Capitol Hill. On March 16, the House passed the PPP Extension Act of 2021 (H.R. 1799) by a vote of 415-3. The legislation provides small businesses two additional months to seek loans through SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), extending the application deadline from March 31 to May 31. The Senate will likely pass the bill during the week of March 22, sending it to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law prior to March 31.
On March 17, House Oversight Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis Chairman James Clyburn (D-SC) sent a letter urging the Biden Administration to closely track unemployment data for low-wage wage workers, people of color, women, and other economically vulnerable populations who have been disproportionately harmed by the coronavirus pandemic. The Select Subcommittee also held a hearing on March 17 with Nobel Laureate Economist Joseph Stiglitz and AFL-CIO Chief Economist William Spriggs examining how the coronavirus pandemic exacerbated economic inequality and steps to build an inclusive post-pandemic recovery.
On March 17, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing on “Leading the Way Forward: Biden Administration Actions to Increase COVID-19 Vaccinations.” Witnesses included Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci, who stated that dangerous coronavirus variants are continuing to threaten progress.
On March 16, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security held a hearing on “The Role of FEMA and Emergency Management in COVID-19 Response.” In his written testimony, acting Director Fenton outlined the current work FEMA is doing.
Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-ID) sent a letter and series of 22 questions to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on March 16 regarding the administration of the $350 billion in Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds to states, localities, tribes, and territories contained in the ARPA.
A group of seven Democratic senators, led by Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH), sent a letter on March 16 to CDC Director Walensky urging the CDC to improve and boost the accessibility of COVID-19 vaccine scheduling for seniors, as most appointments are made online.
A group of 21 Democratic members of the House and Senate sent a letter on to Treasury Secretary Yellen and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Charles Rettig urging the Treasury Department and IRS to take every effort to ensure that individuals who received unemployment compensation in 2020 are able to utilize the tax exclusion that was included in the ARPA. The new law provides a federal income tax exclusion on the first $10,200 of unemployment benefits received in 2020 for households earning less than $150,000.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Michael McCaul (R-TX) sent a letter to the Chief Operating Officer for the Federal COVID-19 Response for Vaccine and Therapeutics, General Gustave Perna, demanding answers on the Defense Department’s COVID-19 vaccination plans after reports of delayed and canceled appointments for U.S. service members and families overseas.
Administration. The IRS announced a tax day extension to May 17 for individuals to file their 2020 federal tax return.
Treasury updated its FAQ document covering the Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program.
DOL issued new guidance to states on implementing American Rescue Plan Act unemployment insurance provisions. The guidance focuses on provisions in ARPA that extend Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, support workers by providing an additional $300 in weekly benefits and continue $100 for Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation – all through Sept. 6, 2021.
A group of State Attorneys General sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen requesting confirmation the federal government will not require states to pay back ARP aid if states decide to cut taxes. Treasury responded ARP instructs states to not use relief money to offset net revenues lost if the states choose to cut taxes.
FEMA announced $510 million is available to the Emergency Food and Shelter Program. $400 million is for local social service organizations aiding the hungry and homeless, with $110 million for organizations providing humanitarian assistance to migrants from the southern border.
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NACo launched the COVID-19 Recovery Clearinghouse to organize critical resources included in the American Rescue Plan Act for counties, including allocation estimations and examples of county programs using federal coronavirus relief funds.
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, includes an average of $6,660 for households with children, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center. The New York Times used the analysis to create charts of financial assistance provided based on household size and annual household income.
Vaccine News
HHS added additional categories of qualified people authorized to prescribe, dispense, and administer COVID-19 vaccines, including dentists, EMTs, midwives, optometrists, paramedics, physician assistants, podiatrists, respiratory therapists, and veterinarians. HHS also authorizes medical students, nursing students, and other health care students in the professions listed under the PREP Act with proper training and professional supervision to serve as vaccinators. A White House fact sheet is here.
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Webinars, Events and Resources |
USCM-Bloomberg Vaccine Partnership: Messaging and Communications
TODAY, March 18 at 3:00 PM ET
CRS Reports of interest:
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