National League of Cities Applauds House for Advancing American Rescue Plan to President Biden’s Desk

Washington, D.C. – National League of Cities (NLC) CEO and Executive Director Clarence Anthony released the following statement following the final House passage of the American Rescue Plan:  

“Thank you Senate Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for your leadership in advancing the American Rescue Plan, which includes much needed emergency funding and support for our nation’s local governments. This is a historic, bold and unprecedented commitment to provide meaningful aid to all 19,000 municipal governments. For all cities and towns, especially small and rural communities, this emergency intervention is a game changer, as all communities want to be part of the solution to reopening and recovery. 

“Our communities are one step closer to protecting our front-line and emergency personnel, and helping our residents and local businesses recover from this pandemic. A year into the pandemic, local leaders have done everything in their power to protect more than 200 million Americans living in our cities, towns and villages from the destructive public health and economic impacts of COVID-19. Municipal officials are working tirelessly to deliver critical services our hometowns need, despite rising budget shortfalls and ongoing uncertainty about the future of their finances. We are pleased that Congress has helped deliver the support and clarity they have been calling for since the pandemic began. 

“Even with the encouraging progress we are witnessing in Washington this week, our nation is still a long way from normal. The devastation of this pandemic has continued to hit our communities hard, as COVID-19 case counts remain high and individuals continue to suffer the economic harm caused by shuttered businesses. Signing the American Rescue Plan into law is a much-needed injection of hope for all of us as we fight to rebuild, recover and move forward in the weeks and months to come.”