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For Georgia Families Help Is On The Way, Rep. Johnson Highlights Key Wins for Georgia in Historic American Rescue Plan

March 16, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, Rep. Johnson joined fellow Democrats to pass the landmark American Rescue Plan and send it to President Biden's desk for his signature. Today, Rep. Johnson proudly highlights the vital resources that Georgia families and communities will receive to crush the virus, put vaccines in people's arms, money in people's pockets, children safely back in school and workers back in jobs.

"Last week was one of great progress and hope for the people of Georgia and all Americans as Democrats delivered on President Biden's promise that Help Is On The Way," said Rep. Johnson. "For a year, the pandemic and economic crisis have devastated Georgia families and small businesses, but with the American Rescue Plan, Georgians will receive the urgent relief they need. I was proud to help pass this landmark bill, and now, I am proud to share the robust support that will soon be headed to Georgia families and communities."

The pandemic and economic crisis have had a severe impact on Georgia:

  • Since the pandemic began, more than 1 million Georgians have been infected with COVID-19 and more than 18,000 have died;
  • The unemployment rate in Georgia is 5.3%, up from 3.5% before the pandemic.
  • Since February 2020, nearly 200,000 fewer Georgians are employed.
  • 960,000 adults – 14% of all adults in the state – report not having enough food to eat. This includes more than 420,000 adults living with children, or 15% of all Georgia adults living with children, who report that the children in their household do not have enough to eat.
  • An estimated 550,000 Georgia renters or 23% of renters are not caught up on rent.
  • An estimated 2.8 million adults or 37% of all adults statewide report having difficulty covering normal household expenses.

But for Georgia families, communities and small businesses, President Biden's American Rescue Plan will save lives and livelihoods with targeted state and local relief:

  • $5 billion in state fiscal relief;
  • $3.6 billion in local fiscal relief;
  • More than $4.3 billion in relief for Georgia's K-12 schools;
  • Economic impact payments of up to $1,400 per person for more than 6.2 million Georgians adults and 3 million children. This is 88 percent of all adults in the state and 88 percent of all children in the state.;
  • Additional relief of up to $1,600 per child through the Child Tax Credit to the families of 2.3 million children, lifting 171,000 Georgia children out of poverty;
  • Additional relief of up to nearly $1,000 through the Earned Income Tax Credit to 572,000 childless Georgia workers, including many on the frontline; and
  • Marketplace health insurance premiums that are $1400 lower per month for a 60-year old Georgia couple earning $75,000 per year.

For Georgia's Fourth District – DeKalb, Gwinnett, Rockdale and Newton counties – it means more than $358 million and for the cities within GA-04 an additional $60 million in funding to help struggling families and businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

And the Biden American Rescue Plan delivers robust resources for every American:

  • Put Vaccines in Arms: The plan mounts a national vaccination program that includes setting up community vaccination sites nationwide and addressing disparities facing communities of color. It also scales up testing and tracing, addresses shortages of personal protective equipment and other critical supplies, invests in high-quality treatments and addresses health care disparities.
  • Put Money in People's Pockets: The plan finishes the job on the President's promise to provide $2,000 in direct assistance to households across America with checks of $1,400 per person, following the $600 down payment enacted in December. The plan also provides direct housing assistance, nutrition assistance, expands access to safe and reliable childcare and affordable health care, extends Unemployment Insurance, expands the Child Tax Credit and improves the Earned Income Tax Credit.
  • Put Children Safely Back in School: The plan delivers $170 billion for education and $45 billion for childcare providers nationally. This includes a $130 billion investment in K-12 school re-opening and making up for lost time in the classroom, with funds that can be used to reduce class sizes, modify spaces so that students and teachers can socially distance, improve ventilation, implement more mitigation measures and provide personal protective equipment. The plan also provides more than $40 billion for higher education.
  • Put People Back in Jobs: The plan provides crucial support for the hardest-hit small businesses, especially those owned by entrepreneurs from racial and ethnic backgrounds that have experienced systemic discrimination, with EIDL grants, expanded PPP eligibility and more. The plan also provides crucial resources to protect the jobs of first responders, frontline public health workers, teachers, transit workers and other essential workers that all Americans depend on.

"Thanks to Democrats' commitment to protecting the lives and livelihoods of Georgia families and all Americans, the American Rescue Plan is a promise made and a promise kept," continued Rep. Johnson. "Now, I will continue working with my colleagues on behalf of the people of Georgia to ensure this relief quickly reaches those most in need as we move forward to Build Back Better For The People."

GEORGIA'S FOURTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

DeKalb County: $147.2M

Gwinnett County: $181.6M

Rockdale County: $17.6M

Newton County: $21.7M

CITIES

Rockdale:

Conyers -- $5.M

DeKalb:

Decatur -- $8.1M

Lithonia -- $734,416

Stone Mountain -- $1.9M

Tucker -- $11.5M

Pine Lake -- $237,559

Clarkston -- $3.9M

Avondale Estates -- $985,837

Brookhaven -- $17.5M

Doraville -- $3.2M

Stonecrest -- $17.3M

Gwinnett:

Mountain Park – 180,000

Loganville -- $4M

Lilburn $4M

Snellville $6.3M

Norcross -- $5.2M

Newton:

Covington --$4.48M

Oxford – $740,000

Porterdale -- $470,000

For more on H.R. 1319, click HERE.