Pennsylvania − December 4, 2020 − Aiming to stimulate Pennsylvania’s economy by providing direct aid to workers, families, small businesses and other vulnerable populations, the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus announced a bold, innovative $4 billion pandemic relief plan Friday morning.
El Plan Pennsylvania Coronavirus Aid, Relief & Economic Security Act of 2021 (PA CARES 21) financiaría programas de ayuda previamente existentes y establecería nuevos programas para ayudar a los residentes de Pensilvania en dificultades y a las áreas en dificultades de la economía de la mancomunidad.
"Desde la primavera pasada, ni el gobierno estatal ni el federal han proporcionado ayuda específica para la pandemia, pero miles de personas siguen desempleadas, subempleadas y luchando con sus facturas de vivienda y servicios públicos. Esto no puede continuar por más tiempo", dijo el líder demócrata del Senado Jay Costa. "Hay necesidades inmediatas en las comunidades de todo este estado que deben ser abordados de inmediato. Estamos en medio de otra oleada de casos de COVID, hospitalizaciones y muertes. Necesitamos ayuda para recuperarnos, personal y financieramente; el estado debe desempeñar un papel activo en esa recuperación y eso es lo que hace nuestro plan de hoy."
“Thousands of Pennsylvanians have been hurt by this pandemic and have received some assistance to get through this generational crisis — however it is time to do more in that space to get people the help they need,” Sen. Hughes said. “Rather than use federal dollars to help people in their time of need, we used the money to plug budget holes, telling people we had to keep state operations running to prevent further crisis. Having averted that crisis, it is now our job to step up and help our communities. They cannot wait any longer for help and the legislature must act now.”
PA CARES 21 autoriza a la mancomunidad a emitir $4 mil millones en deuda de emergencia para (1) recapitalizar programas previamente financiados con fondos federales CARES de conformidad con las Leyes 2A, 24 y 30 de 2020 y (2) establecer nuevos programas que proporcionen asistencia específica a los residentes de Pensilvania en dificultades y a los sectores en dificultades de la economía de Pensilvania.
Where appropriate, this proposal utilizes the programs created under Act 24 of 2020 to drive out the funds. If proposed funding does not fit into an existing program (e.g., utility assistance), a new program will be created. Additionally, the caucus supports fixing programs created by Act 24 (e.g., PHFA’s rental assistance program) as requested by stakeholders to maximize program effectiveness.
The PA Senate Democrats propose allocating the funds to the following priorities (a detailed spreadsheet of the spending proposal is attached):
- 800 millones de ayuda a las empresas
- 1.000 millones en prestaciones de la UC
- 594 millones de dólares en ayudas a las corporaciones locales
- 135 millones en indemnizaciones por riesgo
- 318 millones de dólares en programas del DHS
- 250 millones de dólares en educación básica
- 136 millones en enseñanza superior
- 100 millones de dólares para hospitales
- 100 millones de dólares para ayudas a los servicios públicos
- 75 millones en guarderías
- 100 millones de dólares en ayudas a la vivienda
- 50 millones de dólares en seguridad alimentaria
- 25 millones de dólares en educación preescolar
- 25 millones de dólares para EPI y vacunas
- 15 millones para financiar la salud mental
- 180 millones de dólares en transporte
“There is no overstating the economic toll COVID has taken and continues to take on families and businesses across the Commonwealth,” said Senator Maria Collett (D-Montgomery). “As a former infection control nurse, I promise you that the sacrifices you’ve made have saved lives and prevented long-term health complications associated with this dangerous virus for so many. But I also know these words offer little comfort when you are struggling to pay the mortgage, or juggle your job and the constant changes to your kids’ schooling, or keep your business afloat. Government is supposed to work for you and that is exactly what our PACARES 21 proposal does. It identifies ways to get money into the hands of those who need it most, including those about to lose their COVID unemployment benefits, frontline workers, child care centers, and our main street businesses, especially local restaurants and bars, in the quickest, most efficient way possible. Your families and your businesses can’t afford to wait any longer for relief. So until our communities are safe and our economy is running at full steam again, it is critical that we extend this lifeline and do so now.”
“As the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Pennsylvania continues to climb, it is the General Assembly’s duty and obligation to provide relief to all those affected – unemployed folks, front-line workers, small businesses, and especially hospitals that serve high-Medicaid populations as well as our institutions of higher education,” said Senator Tina Tartaglione (D-Philadelphia). “These are the pillars of society that serve us in our times of greatest need and will lead our recovery.”
“There’s no denying that cases of the coronavirus are growing every day,” said Senator-elect Carolyn Comitta (D-Chester). “We need to do more than just say, ‘help is on the way.’ We need a bold, innovative plan to deliver it to Pennsylvanians. PA CARES 21 gives us more tools, more resources, and the flexibility to prepare for the future.”
“We are entering a stage of the pandemic that is, by virtually every measure, worse than the first stage, laying bare and exacerbating inequalities in all our health systems, devastating essential workers, and disproportionately harming Black and brown people,” said Senator-elect Nikil Saval (D-Philadelphia). “We need to keep people in their homes, fight hunger and food insecurity, and give our children every tool they need to learn. We need this stimulus because our communities desperately need support and relief.”
More information on the proposal and the caucus’ work in pandemic relief is available online at pasenate.com/pacares.
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