Governor Wolf celebrated the passage of the American Rescue Plan in the United States House of Representatives. The governor released the following statement:

“Thank you to all of the federal lawmakers, in both the House and the Senate, who worked so hard to pass the American Rescue Plan. I am glad that this crucial bill has passed the House and is on its way to President Biden’s desk, because it will provide much-needed help to Pennsylvanians who are struggling because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This bill will provide more than $13.7 billion for state and local governments in Pennsylvania. It will provide direct payments to more than 5.5 million households. It will provide $671 million in emergency rental assistance. It will extend federal unemployment insurance benefits that help more than 480,000 Pennsylvanians make ends meet.

“Pennsylvanians have worked hard to survive this pandemic and reduce case numbers, hospitalizations and deaths throughout the commonwealth. Although hope is starting to grow as vaccinations increase, we aren’t out of the woods yet. Our people and our communities are still being battered by the economic and health consequences of this pandemic, and they need and deserve help. I thank our federal government for recognizing that need, and working hard to provide relief.”