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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – March 11, 2021
Contact: Erin Weber | (646) 719-7021 | weber@iwpr.org
Washington, DC – IWPR applauds the House and the Senate and President Biden for enacting the American Rescue Plan, an historic relief package that will uplift women and families.
“Women and families are facing extraordinary challenges that require bold solutions,” said C. Nicole Mason, PhD, President and CEO of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR). “Now they will finally get some of the help they need to survive the pandemic with the delivery of this landmark relief package.”
Women and families have been hit disproportionately hard by the economic downturn in the wake of the pandemic. To help them, the American Rescue Plan includes:
- $1400 checks for individuals and adult dependents – which will help 158 million households.
- And up to $3600 per child (over several payments)
- Continued unemployment insurance (UI) benefits of $300 for six months (until August), with up to $10,200 in untaxed UI income
- $39 billion for childcare to help working families
- 66 million children benefiting from the child tax credit
- Earned Income Tax Credit expanded to 17 million workers
“Women – particularly Black women and Latinas – have been hit hard economically and emotionally by the she-cession. Many millions of workers in hard-hit industries are still out of work and need this support,”
The rescue package will provide child care to millions of families, a key support to bringing women back to the workforce. “While this big and bold bill is an impressive solution – our work is not finished. We need a society where it’s not up to each family to solve their own child care crisis,” said Mason.
“People need to pay their bills and put food on the table, and have quality child care accessible. For many women and families, this support will help them regain the ground they lost over the past year. This bill helps them rebuild their economic security.”