For Immediate Release: March 11, 2021
American Rescue Plan Provides Much-Needed Relief to Missouri Statement from Traci Gleason, Vice President of External Affairs, Missouri Budget Project
The American Rescue Plan, which was signed into law this afternoon, includes much needed-relief that will help struggling families weather the health and economic crisis created by the pandemic. Across Missouri, unemployed workers are struggling to pay their bills, and families are falling behind on rent or worrying about putting food on the table. The Rescue package is the kind of action that we need to meet the moment.
Key elements of the relief package will help Missouri families stay afloat, including nutrition and housing assistance, extended unemployment, and financial assistance to help people make ends meet, delivered through tax credits and stimulus payments.
Other provisions will promote the health of Missourians, through health insurance premium assistance and incentives for Medicaid expansion.
More good news contained in the new measure is a provision that will allow Missouri to use a nominal portion of the new funds to pay for the unemployment benefit overpayments.
While economic recovery won’t happen overnight, this package provides the tools Missourians and our state need to respond to this crisis.
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The Missouri Budget Project is a nonprofit public policy analysis organization that analyzes state budget, tax, and economic issues.
