ICYMI: Tampa Mayor Jane Castor Urges ‘Swift Passage and Enactment of the American Rescue Plan’

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 9, 2021   ICYMI: Tampa Mayor Jane Castor Urges ‘Swift Passage and Enactment of the American Rescue Plan’   Yesterday, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor sent a letter to Congressional leaders “to urge swift passage and enactment of the American Rescue Plan.”   In the letter, Mayor Castor wrote: “Direct funding to Tampa will cover costs related to COVID-19 including homelessness mitigation, rental assistance, workforce retraining, fire and police call responses, and security and maintenance of traffic at testing and vaccination sites. It will allow us to leverage public/private partnerships to rebuild our local economies and reduce the long-term impacts of COVID-19. Instead of being a drag on economic growth in the aftermath of the pandemic, the American Rescue Plan will make cities catalysts of recovery.”   Last week, more than 400 more bipartisan mayors across the nation penned a letter vocally supporting President Biden’s American Rescue Plan – along with a long list of economists and economic organizations urging the benefits of immediate relief including Brookings, Moody’s Analytics, and the Chief Economist of the International Monetary Fund. And a Reuters survey of dozens of economists found that over 90% believed that it would “boost the economy significantly.” The American Rescue Plan has received praise from across the political spectrum – from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Business Roundtable to Senator Sanders and organized labor. And, top economic advisors from the last four presidents: Kevin Hassett, Gene Sperling, R. Glenn Hubbard, and Alan Blinder have all said that additional stimulus is needed to rescue the economy.     The letter comes just days after the release of a Quinnipiac poll showing that 68% of Americans – including majorities of Americans in every region of the country, in rural, suburban, and urban areas – approve of President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, which includes this critical funding for state and local governments.   See below for the full letter: February 8, 2021   Dear Leadership,   On behalf of the City of Tampa and its 400,000 residents, I am writing to urge swift passage and enactment of the American Rescue Plan, which includes $350 billion in direct and flexible financial relief for our nation’s cities. This will ensure that cities like Tampa are able to maintain vital services and continue to provide the necessary support our community needs.   Tampa and its frontline workers have played a critical role in stabilizing and moving our community forward through the pandemic. Direct funding to Tampa will cover costs related to COVID-19 including homelessness mitigation, rental assistance, workforce retraining, fire and police call responses, and security and maintenance of traffic at testing and vaccination sites. It will allow us to leverage public/private partnerships to rebuild our local economies and reduce the long-term impacts of COVID-19. Instead of being a drag on economic growth in the aftermath of the pandemic, the American Rescue Plan will make cities catalysts of recovery.   Our nation’s cities are on the frontlines of fighting COVID-19 and its social and economic impacts, and will remain on the frontlines as we emerge from this difficult moment in history. We appreciate your support for our efforts to maintain public health while rebuilding local economies. America cannot recover if its cities cannot recover.   Sincerely,   Jane Castor, Mayor