Celebrating Three Years of Growth and Recovery in Wisconsin Thanks to the American Rescue Plan

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 11, 2024
PRESS CONTACT: [email protected]

CELEBRATING THREE YEARS OF GROWTH AND RECOVERY IN WISCONSIN THANKS TO THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today marks the three-year anniversary of President Biden signing the American Rescue Plan Act into law. This legislation invested more than $8.3 billion in Wisconsin, helping keep renters and homeowners up-to-date on their bills and small businesses afloat across the state. In celebration, Building Back Together Executive Director Mayra Macías released the following statement:

When President Biden assumed office, our nation faced an unprecedented public health and economic crisis. The Biden-Harris Administration took swift action in response, enacting the American Rescue Plan to combat the challenges posed by COVID-19 and ensure our full economic recovery. As we commemorate the three-year anniversary of this pivotal legislation, the transformative impact it has had in communities across America cannot be overstated. Despite facing unanimous opposition from Republicans in Congress, the American Rescue Plan empowered the Biden-Harris Administration to supercharge recovery efforts, directly support American businesses, workers and families, and facilitate a safe return to work and school for all Americans. Moreover, the American Rescue Plan enabled local governments to use the funds to best serve their communities, spurring innovation and support for critical programs like housing, child care and food assistance.

“Thanks to the American Rescue Plan, the United States has had one of the fastest post-pandemic recoveries among the world’s top economies, with nearly 15 million jobs created, record-low unemployment, higher wages, and a consistent decline in inflation. While MAGA Republicans in Congress have chosen to dismiss the success of this historic legislation, President Biden and his congressional allies continue to prioritize creating breathing room for hardworking families nationwide — from homeowner and renters’ assistance to lowering the cost of health care. Thanks to President Biden’s agenda, we navigated the pandemic with a pragmatic approach that enabled us to move forward safely and set our sights on building a better, stronger union.”

Over the past three years, the American Rescue Plan signed into law by President Biden has made a major impact across the country. In Wisconsin, the American Rescue Plan:

  • Delivered over 2.9 million economic relief payments of up to $1,400 to Wisconsinites.
  • Cut premiums for the average Wisconsin family of four receiving health care through the Affordable Care Act by $611 a month.
    • Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, these health care savings are still available through 2025.
  • Sent monthly child tax cuts to the families of 1,056,000 children in Wisconsin.
  • Delivered over $1.5 billion to help Wisconsin’s schools reopen safely and effectively.
  • Delivered over $92 million to Wisconsin homeowners to assist with their mortgages and over $306 million to Wisconsin renters to assist with paying their rent.
  • Assisted in providing emergency financial relief to over 193,000 students in Wisconsin, totaling over $303 million.
  • Delivered emergency relief to help keep over 2,000 restaurants and bars and over 7,000 child care programs open across Wisconsin.

Read about the full impacts of the American Rescue Plan across the country and by state at BidenEconomyFacts.com.

The American Rescue Plan has created 4.8 million jobs and increased average hourly earnings by $0.93 while not raising a penny of taxes for anyone earning less than $400,000 a year. See below for a sampling of what Wisconsinites have read about its impact since it was signed into law by President Biden:

Ozaukee County News Graphic: Cedarburg Light & Water utility works to provide financial assistance for lead service line replacements

The city and CL&W were awarded $600,000 from the DNR Private Lead Service Line Replacement Program for the lead service replacements done in 2022. The city also used some of its ARPA funds to cover some of the costs as well.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin to receive $79.1 million in federal funding to support small businesses

Wisconsin will receive up to $79.1 million through the federal State Small Business Credit Initiative as part of the American Rescue Plan.

The U.S. Department of Treasury announced Thursday it was planning to allocate $339 million to Wisconsin, Arkansas, Rhode Island, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands to support small businesses and expand their access to capital.

UpNorthNews: Insulin prices plunge for Wisconsinites due to Biden’s American Rescue Plan

Nearly three years after it was signed into law, President Biden’s American Rescue Plan is still paying dividends, this time by prompting the nation’s three major insulin makers to drop their prices for the life-saving drug.

As of Jan. 1, Eli Lilly, Sanofi, and Novo Nordisk—which make up roughly 90% of the market—are all officially offering price caps and savings programs to lower the cost of some of their most widely-used insulin products to only $35 per month.

The price cuts are expected to benefit many of the roughly 8.4 million Americans, who need insulin to survive. In Wisconsin, 8.8% of the adult population has diagnosed diabetes, including tens of thousands of people who rely on insulin.