LANSING, Mich. — U.S. Sen. Gary Peters held a meeting Thursday to highlight the American Rescue Plan and how it will deliver COVID-19 relief to Michiganders
Peters was joined with Sterling Heights Mayor Michael Taylor, Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce CEO Tim Herman and Jessalynn Johnson, a mother of two from Grand Rapids, for the briefing at 2 p.m. March 4, 2021.
During the news conference Peters said the bill would extend unemployment benefits until August and enhance payments by $400 a week.
If Congress fails to pass the bill those extended benefits would expire March 14, 2021.
"Just over the last month unemployment claims have actually increased in Michigan. We want to make sure we give folks the financial stability of knowing they have some security for a few months as opposed to a few days," Peters said.
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They discussed the urgent need to provide relief to struggling Michigan families and small businesses, to speed up vaccination distribution and safely reopen schools.
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As chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, Peters also touted over $50 billion in disaster funding for FEMA, which the committee oversees, to accelerate the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.
"We know that the best way for us to get through this pandemic and the quickest way we can get through this pandemic is to produce more vaccines and get them in the arms of people as quickly as possible," Peters said.
He said with increased vaccine production, soon there would be more vaccines available than capacity to administer them.
"We want to make sure that these are aligned. They've got to be aligned together, that's why FEMA will be actively engaged in perhaps some mass vaccination sites across the state." Peters said.
Peters said he supports the American Rescue Plan and has spoken directly with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in the Oval Office about the need to swiftly pass this legislation. Last month, he joined President Biden during a visit to Pfizer’s facility in Portage, where they thanked Michigan workers and discussed the importance of ramping up vaccine production and equitable distribution.
Peters also addressed the recent compromise over $1,400 direct stimulus payments, lowering the income level individual Americans would be ineligible for checks, from $100,000 a year to just $80,000 a year. Peters said there were senators from states with higher costs of living that pushed for higher income limits for their states, but that they have to pass legislation that makes sense for the whole country.
"Based on those levels, we would still deal with the vast majority of folks in the state of Michigan, but folks at the very high, who are earning very high income and are doing well, they do not need the $1,400 stimulus payments as other families do," Peters said.
Sterling Heights Mayor Michael Taylor said his city is projecting a revenue loss around $20 million over the next five years due to the impact of COVID-19. He said like many across America, Sterling Heights was counting on money from the relief package to fund services and infrastructure they are obligated to provide.
"This is not a bail out. This is not to plug unfunded liabilities or anything like that. We need this money to continue to have cops on the street, to have firefighters responding to emergencies, to continue to provide the services our residents deserve," Taylor said.