How the ARP is putting food on millions of tables

This piece was originally published in the March 22, 2021 edition of CAP Action’s newsletter, the Progress Report. Subscribe to the Progress Report here.

2.5 million

The average number of people vaccinated per day in the U.S. last week. (That’s compared to 900k the week before inauguration.) This weekend alone, the U.S. reported 6 million vaccinations.

Thanks to the new relief bill, things are starting to look up.

Share this graphic to get the facts out:

IN THE NEWS

• President Biden and other senior members of his administration are continuing to tour the country and promote the recently passed relief bill which has already put stimulus checks into the pockets and bank accounts of nearly 100 million Americans.
• It’s impossible to forget the heartbreaking footage of miles-long food bank lines during this pandemic. Today, Vice President Kamala Harris visited a food distribution center and a vaccination site in Jacksonville, Florida to highlight how the legislation is helping to put food on the tables of millions of people. In keeping with that theme, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack are stopping by Des Moines, Iowa to meet with food bank organizers and other community leaders.
• What do we mean when we say the American Rescue Plan is helping “put food on the table”? We’re glad you asked. The massive relief package includes several provisions that will directly help reduce hunger across the country — from stimulus checks to an $888 million boost in WIC funding.
• According to the White House, the law will extend emergency increases to SNAP benefits into the fall, which means each SNAP recipient will receive an average of $28 more per month than they would without the increase. An additional $1 billion will go to U.S. territories for nutrition assistance.
• As we’ve previously highlighted, one of the most underrated aspects of the ARP is its investment in Black farmers. This Washington Post article is a great read on the subject. The rescue package allocates $4 billion toward debt relief for underrepresented farmers to help them pay off burdensome debts resulting from decades of racial discrimination. Additionally, it invests $1 billion in funding for the USDA to create a racial equity commission that will address discrimination in the agriculture sector by investing in land access, outreach, education, and increased accessibility of government aid.

Read more about how the American Rescue Plan is helping put food on millions of tables across America here.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

• New Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge left a memorable first impression on the press last week when she issued an enthusiastic greeting to reporters upon entering the White House briefing room. Watch the full clip here.

WHAT WE’RE READING

• Abby Phillip Asks the Right Questions Media’s voice of sanity and clarity, in conversation with Gayle King. (The Cut)
• Don’t miss this conversation with Chase Strangio, the ACLU’s deputy director for transgender justice and a leading advocate for the rights of trans people, about the relentless state legislative attacks on trans women and girls who want to play sports.
• Eliminating the Black-White Wealth Gap Is a Generational Challenge by Christian E. Weller and Lily Roberts (CAP)
• How Women Will Spend Their COVID Relief Bill Stimulus Check by Charlotte Cowles (The Cut)
• Through the brush: A migrant teen mom’s journey across the U.S.-Mexico border by Mimi Dwyer (Reuters)