Dear Peter,
Thank you for contacting me about the coronavirus pandemic. It is an honor to represent Arizona in the United States Senate, and I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts on the issues facing our state and our country. Hearing from Arizonans helps me better serve our state, and I hope you will continue to share your perspective and suggestions.
Since COVID-19 arrived in the United States, millions have contracted the virus and hundreds of thousands have lost their lives. The pandemic has pushed our health care system to the brink, and it has devastated our economy. I am committed to working with federal, state, local and tribal leaders, regardless of party, to address this crisis.
Because COVID-19 is spread through person-to-person contact, public health experts have recommended that Americans stay home as much as possible and wear a mask when in public. Many cities and counties in Arizona have issued requirements for residents to wear masks while in public, and I’ve encouraged the governor to make that requirement statewide to slow the spread of the virus.
This pandemic has also caused an economic crisis in addition to the public health crisis. Many small businesses have had to downsize or close and hundreds of thousands of Arizonans have lost their jobs. Since being sworn into the United States Senate in early December, my top priority has been working with Republicans and Democrats to get bipartisan legislation through to extend relief to Arizonans impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, H.R. 133, was introduced on December 21, 2020. In addition to providing funding for the federal government for fiscal year 2021, the bill also included bipartisan emergency coronavirus relief, from capital for small businesses to stay open and retain employees, to funding for Arizona schools and hospitals, and additional resources for vaccine distribution. The bill also provides $600 direct payments for most Americans, an extra $300 a week for workers receiving unemployment insurance, and funding for rental assistance and nutrition programs. H.R. 133 was signed into law on December 27, 2020. While I believe that more relief will be needed to help Arizona fully recover from this pandemic, I voted for H.R. 133.
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, H.R. 1319, was introduced by Congressman John Yarmuth (D-KY) on February 24, 2021. H.R. 1319 would provide additional relief for renters who struggle to pay landlords, more assistance for struggling small businesses, expands the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and directs payments of $1,400 dollars for many Americans. The bill also extends unemployment benefits through September, allocates $350 billion to assist state and local governments, distributes $128 billion of relief for elementary and secondary schools, and fully funds a national vaccine program. Additionally, the plan temporarily increases child tax credit for a year. H.R.1319 passed the Senate with a vote of 50 to 49 on March 6, 2021.
I proudly voted for this relief package that will provide most Arizonans with $1,400 direct checks, extend unemployment insurance, provide additional funding for vaccine distribution, allocate money to help schools open safely, and deliver aid to local and tribal governments in Arizona. After spending months talking with Arizonans about their concerns and priorities, I specifically fought to include dedicated funding for essential senior services, including senior meal delivery programs, vaccination outreach for senior service organizations, and additional funding for caregiver support programs. I also led the fight to establish a Small Business Administration grant program to help local government, nonprofits, and chambers of commerce establish programs to help small and underserved businesses apply for federal assistance. As Arizona’s senator, I will continue actively working with business and community leaders in Arizona, to ensure that the American Rescue Plan is quickly implemented and that Arizonans can quickly and easily access this much needed federal relief.
Many Arizonans are rightly frustrated, both by the ways the virus has disrupted daily life and by Washington’s failure to rapidly respond to this unprecedented crisis. While there are several promising coronavirus vaccines beginning to be distributed, slowing the spread of the virus over the next few months will require Arizonans to work together. Our economic recovery cannot fully begin until the virus is under control, and actions that we take, like staying home as much as possible, wearing a mask in public, avoiding large gatherings, and getting vaccinated as soon as possible, will slow the spread of the virus and save lives.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this issue, and I hope you will continue to contact my office with any future comments or questions. I’m committed to being transparent and accountable with all Arizonans, which is why I release my official Senate schedule every week at kelly.senate.gov. There you can also learn more about my work as Arizona’s senator.
Sincerely,
Mark Kelly
United States Senator