DOCSLIB.ORG

Congressional Record—House H1164

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Congressional Record—House H1164 H1164 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE March 9, 2021 PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION going hungry. Roughly 12 million chil- Madam Speaker, today’s rule pro- OF SENATE AMENDMENT TO H.R. dren are living in households with food vides for consideration of the Senate 1319, AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN insecurity. Up to 40 million people can- amendment to H.R. 1319, the American ACT OF 2021 not afford to pay rent and fear evic- Rescue Plan Act of 2021. tion. Over 2 million women have been First, the House considered the budg- Mr. MCGOVERN. Madam Speaker, by et resolution setting the budget rec- direction of the Committee on Rules, I forced to leave the workforce. Eight of 10 minority businesses are on the brink onciliation instructions for this mas- call up House Resolution 198 and ask of closure. That is what COVID has sive coronavirus relief bill. Then, the for its immediate consideration. wrought in America today. House considered and passed, on a par- The Clerk read the resolution, as fol- This is more than a Band-Aid; this is tisan basis, the budget resolution au- lows: a lifeline, Madam Speaker. It will put thorizing a deficit increase of nearly $2 H. RES. 198 more vaccines in arms, put more kids trillion. After an all-night vote-a-rama Resolved, That upon adoption of this reso- back safely in schools, put more money in the Senate, the House will consider lution it shall be in order to take from the in people’s pockets, and put more peo- this package for the third time. Speaker’s table the bill (H.R. 1319) to provide ple back to work. It is hard to over- Three times the House will have de- for reconciliation pursuant to title II of S. state just how important this is. Con. Res. 5, with the Senate amendment bated and passed a partisan package, thereto, and to consider in the House, with- This bill, Madam Speaker, attacks and only 9 percent is dedicated to actu- out intervention of any point of order, a mo- inequality and poverty in ways we ally crushing the coronavirus. This tion offered by the chair of the Committee haven’t seen in a generation. This leg- isn’t just disappointing; it is irrespon- on the Budget or his designee that the House islation makes the biggest investments sible, and it is unrepresentative of the concur in the Senate amendment. The Sen- in our workers and our middle class American people. ate amendment and the motion shall be con- that I have seen in my two-and-a-half Currently, Democrats only hold the sidered as read. The motion shall be debat- decades of service here. majority by five Representatives. That able for two hours equally divided among Make no mistake, I am disappointed means that the 211 Republicans, rep- and controlled by the chair and ranking mi- to see the cut in the unemployment in- resenting nearly 150 million Ameri- nority member of the Committee on the surance made over in the Senate, and cans, have been shut out of this proc- Budget or their respective designees and the we are going to keep fighting to raise chair and ranking minority member of the ess; 150 million Americans are not rep- Committee on Ways and Means or their re- the minimum wage so that no one who resented in the package before us spective designees. The previous question works full time lives in poverty. We are today. shall be considered as ordered on the motion going to keep focusing on the hunger Madam Speaker, we all want to pro- to its adoption without intervening motion. crisis in this country until we end it vide the resources to successfully The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. once and for all. These should be funda- emerge on the other side of the pan- JACKSON LEE). The gentleman from mental priorities of the wealthiest na- demic. This bill does include funding Massachusetts is recognized for 1 hour. tion on the planet. for testing and vaccine deployment, as But let’s be clear. Today, we are on Mr. MCGOVERN. Madam Speaker, for well as some economic support and aid the doorstep of history. We are about the purpose of debate only, I yield the to those who are unemployed or experi- to send the most sweeping and progres- customary 30 minutes to the distin- encing food shortages, but this support sive economic investment in modern guished gentleman from Texas (Mr. is not targeted toward those identified times to the President of the United BURGESS), pending which I yield myself as most vulnerable. States: $1,400 in direct payments, a his- This bill includes $1,400 in economic such time as I may consume. During toric child allowance, school infra- consideration of this resolution, all stimulus payments to anyone making structure, an expansion of the Afford- $75,000 a year or less, including those time yielded is for the purpose of de- able Care Act, student loan relief, bil- bate only. who may not have lost their jobs or ex- lions in rental assistance, aid that will perienced reduced employment. In ad- GENERAL LEAVE cut child poverty in half, and I could go dition, there is no mechanism to en- Mr. MCGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I on and on and on. sure that these payments go only to ask unanimous consent that all Mem- Everything included in this final American citizens. bers may have 5 legislative days in package is necessary to crush the virus Republicans were pleased that the in- which to revise and extend their re- and revitalize our economy. frastructure projects in California and As I have noted, I have been in Con- marks. New York, projects that had nothing to gress for more than 20 years, but this, The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there do with coronavirus relief, have been Madam Speaker, this is among my objection to the request of the gen- removed. We are glad of that. tleman from Massachusetts? proudest moments. My Democratic colleagues may argue I want to thank our distinguished There was no objection. that these projects would have created Speaker, NANCY PELOSI, and my fellow Mr. MCGOVERN. Madam Speaker, jobs, but why then are Democrats also today, the Rules Committee met and committee chairs who worked so hard on this bill. I want to thank Budget providing $125 billion to schools even if reported a rule, House Resolution 198, they remain closed? Teachers want to providing for a motion to concur with Committee Chair YARMUTH and all of my colleagues here in the House for teach. Teachers want to be safely in the Senate amendment to H.R. 1319, their classrooms teaching. The Centers the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. getting us to this point. Democrats on both sides of the Cap- for Disease Control has confirmed that The rule provides 2 hours of debate itol, together with the Biden adminis- with appropriate safety precautions, on the motion, equally divided and con- tration, have crafted something his- the risk of coronavirus transmission in trolled by the chairs and ranking mi- toric. In 1 day, with a single vote in schools is minimal. In fact, many nority members of the Committees on favor of this bill, we will change the States are prioritizing teachers for vac- Budget and Ways and Means. lives of millions of Americans for the cines. Madam Speaker, our State of Madam Speaker, a once-in-a-century better. Texas is doing so. Why are we paying pandemic brought us the need to act, For all of our important work, day in schools to keep them home? and a Democratic Congress and a and day out, we don’t get many This bill also provides $362 billion for Democratic President have seized the chances like this. I urge all of my col- State and local governments. The moment, not as a chance to help big leagues to join me in voting for this CARES Act, passed on March 27, al- corporations or the already well-off, as rule and the underlying rescue plan. ready provided a $150 billion those on the other side have done over Let us rise and meet this moment, Coronavirus Relief Fund to help local and over again, but as an opportunity and let’s send this historic bill to the entities with lost revenue during the to invest in our workers, our students, President’s desk for his signature. shutdowns. However, many local au- our communities, and the very people Madam Speaker, I reserve the bal- thorities have chosen to keep their who need help the most. ance of my time. economies shut down, despite a drop in More than 18 million Americans are Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, I coronavirus cases and the effectiveness receiving unemployment benefits yield myself such time as I may con- of safety measures like social today. Nearly 24 million adults are sume. distancing and mask-wearing. VerDate Sep 11 2014 07:58 Mar 10, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00040 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K09MR7.057 H09MRPT1 dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with HOUSE March 9, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H1165 Congress should not bail out State [From Politico, Mar. 5, 2021] hoped that ‘‘hearing from local officials that and local governments for mismanage- ‘CHECK PARTISANSHIP AT THE DOOR’: BIDEN are on the ground, day in and day out, will ment that occurred prior to the pan- FINDS GOP ALLIES FOR RESCUE MONEY be something that motivates elected officials (By Kellie Mejdrich) from both parties’’ to support the funding.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • May 12, 2020 the Honorable Mitch Mcconnell Majority Leader United
    May 12, 2020 The Honorable Mitch McConnell The Honorable Charles Schumer Majority Leader Minority Leader United States Senate United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 Washington, D.C. 20510 The Honorable Nancy Pelosi The Honorable Kevin McCarthy Speaker of the House House Minority Leader U.S. House of Representatives U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 Washington, D.C. 20515 RE: Temporarily Expand SNAP in the Next Federal COVID-19 Relief Package to Lift Up Vulnerable Families and Support Local Economies Dear Speaker Pelosi and Leaders McConnell, Schumer, and McCarthy: We, the undersigned mayors representing cities across the nation, appreciate your work on the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to help workers, employers, older Americans, and children, but much more needs to be done to ensure that our residents can weather this crisis. During this time of soaring unemployment, financial insecurity, and growing hunger, we urge Congress to temporarily increase SNAP benefit levels in the next federal COVID-19 relief package. America’s cities are on the front line of responding to unprecedented disruption to local economies triggered by COVID-19. As mayors, we need every option available to fight hunger and stimulate the economy in our cities. SNAP is a proven solution to both challenges. By providing families with a grocery benefit they can use to purchase food directly, SNAP is a safe, effective way to ensure that low-income children and their families can get the food they need during this unprecedented crisis. While the FFCRA provided USDA with authority to increase emergency SNAP allotments for existing SNAP households to the maximum benefit, the most vulnerable families—roughly 12 million people, including 5 million children—received no additional nutrition assistance because their household already received the maximum SNAP benefit.
    [Show full text]
  • Docket 119 Synthesis Iof Comments on the Review.Pdf
    i ii Synthesis of Public Comment on the Forthcoming Review by the Federal Governments of Canada and the United States of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement A Report to the Governments of the United States and Canada January 2006 The views expressed in this synthesis are those of the individuals and organizations who participated in the public comment process. They are not the views of the International Joint Commission. INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION JOINT MIXTE COMMISSION INTERNATIONALE Canada and United States Canada et États-Unis INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION JOINT MIXTE COMMISSION INTERNATIONALE Canada and United States Canada et États-Unis Herb Gray Dennis Schornack Chair, Canadian Section Chair, United States Section Robert Gourd Irene Brooks Commissioner Commissioner Jack Blaney Allen Olson Commissioner Commissioner International Joint Commission Offices Canadian Section United States Section 234 Laurier Ave. West, 22nd Floor 1250 23rd Street, NW, Suite 100 Ottawa, ON K1P 6K6 Washington, D.C. 20440 Phone: (613) 995-2984 Phone: (202) 736-9000 Fax: (613) 993-5583 Fax: (202) 467-0746 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Great Lakes Regional Office 100 Ouellette Avenue, 8th Floor Windsor, ON N9A 6T3 or P.O. Box 32869, Detroit, MI 48232 Phone: (519) 257-6700 or (313) 226-2170 Fax: (519) 257-6740 Email: [email protected] Acknowledgements The International Joint Commission thanks the people from the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence River and beyond who took part in the public comment process and whose voices are echoed in this report. ISBN 1-894280-60-1 This report is available online at www.ijc.org.
    [Show full text]
  • Arizona Mayors' Letter of Support
    July 13th, 2021 The Honorable Kyrsten Sinema The Honorable Mark Kelly United States Senate United States Senate The Honorable Tom O’Halleran The Honorable Ann Kirkpatrick United State Congress United States Congress The Honorable Raúl M. Grijalva The Honorable Paul Gosar United States Congress United States Congress The Honorable Andy Biggs The Honorable David Schweikert United States Congress United States Congress The Honorable Ruben Gallego The Honorable Debbie Lesko United States Congress United States Congress The Honorable Greg Stanton United States Congress Dear Members of the Arizona Congressional Delegation: As Mayors of cities and towns located along the potential Tucson-Phoenix-West Valley Amtrak route, we enthusiastically support Amtrak’s vision to bring passenger rail service to our communities. Frequent and reliable passenger rail service will expand economic opportunities and provide important regional connections between our cities and towns. We further support Amtrak’s reauthorization proposal to create a Corridor Development Program, which will help advance Amtrak’s planning, development and implementation of new corridor routes and improvements to existing routes. By funding this program through Amtrak’s National Network grant, Amtrak can make the initial capital investments necessary to get these new routes up and running. The grant will also cover the operating costs for the first several years, offering new services the ability to grow ridership and generate revenue. Amtrak has made clear its commitment to working in a collaborative manner with state and local partners to grow the national rail network, and we look forward to this partnership. In addition to Amtrak’s National Network grant, we also support increased funding for USDOT competitive grants, which can also support more passenger rail.
    [Show full text]
  • United States Conference of Mayors the UNITED STATES CONFERENCE of MAYORS
    MAYORS A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN MAJOR LEAGUE BASEball AND THE UNITED STATES CONFERENCE OF MAYORS THE UNITED STATES CONFERENCE OF MAYORS Mitchell J. Landrieu Mayor of New Orleans President Stephen K. Benjamin Mayor of Columbia Vice President Bryan K. Barnett Mayor of Rochester Hills Second Vice President Tom Cochran CEO and Executive Director The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are 1,393 such cities in the country today, each represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the Mayor. Printed on Recycled Paper. do your part! please recycle! 2017 is the third year of The United States Conference of Mayors and Major League Baseball (MLB) Play Ball Summer Campaign. This year mayors in the United States and Puerto Rico hosted “PLAY BALL” -themed, youth-focused events in communities from June through August 2017. Play Ball is a joint program from MLB and USA Baseball that focuses on the fun nature of baseball and encourages widespread participation in baseball-related activities. A primary goal of the Play Ball Summer Initiative is to reach kids who don’t normally play baseball. Building on the success of previous years, this year - over 255 mayors pledged to host Play Ball events in cities. Mayors were encouraged to engage youth, citizens, families, and city departments to organize community Play Ball events. From June to August mayors across the country hosted activities such as: baseball/ softball themed clinic days for park and recreation summer camps, playing lunchtime catch games outside of city hall, hosting pitch, hit and run clinics with Little Leagues, showcasing the pastime at the local international festival, as well as hosting baseball themed movie nights with pre-movie baseball drills that engaged families.
    [Show full text]
  • Who Runs Our Cities? the Political Gender Gap in the Top 100 U.S
    Who Runs Our Cities? The Political Gender Gap in the Top 100 U.S. Cities SEPTEMBER 2016 This report is authored by the staff of the CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance: Jocelyn Drummond, Qian Zhang, and Victoria Lawson ABOUT THE CUNY INSTITUTE FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNANCE The CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance’s mission is to bridge the gap between researchers, practitioners, and policymakers using data and research to help government produce better results, worthy of public investment and trust. Our expertise includes data analysis for a wide array of purposes—including cost-benefit analysis, performance evaluation, and the development of performance indicators—and fiscal management for both short- and long-term planning. ABOUT THE EQUALITY INDICATORS The Equality Indicators measure progress toward achieving greater equality in New York City and other cities in the United States and internationally. This report was made possible by the generous support of the Rockefeller Foundation. We are indebted to Besiki Kutateladze, former ISLG Research Director, for his ideas and guidance. FOR MORE INFORMATION CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance 10 East 34th Street, 5th floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: 646-664-3481 Email: [email protected] Websites: islg.cuny.edu and equalityindicators.org CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance i EXECUTIVE SUMMARY omen comprise half of the U.S. and world populations but are highly underrepresented at all levels of government. The consequences of the gender gap in political leadership go beyond issues of democratic Wrepresentation. Studies have found that, on average, women elected officials introduce more legislation than men, and that they do so on a wide range of issues, from health and education to infrastructure and the environment.
    [Show full text]
  • March 23, 2020 the Honorable Mitch Mcconnell the Honorable Nancy Pelosi Majority Leader Speaker United States Senate United
    March 23, 2020 The Honorable Mitch McConnell The Honorable Nancy Pelosi Majority Leader Speaker United States Senate United States House of Representatives 317 Russell Senate Office Building 1236 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20515 The Honorable Chuck Schumer The Honorable Kevin McCarthy Minority Leader Minority Leader United States Senate United States House of Representatives 322 Hart Senate Office Building 2468 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20515 Dear Speaker Pelosi, Leader McConnell, Leader McCarthy and Leader Schumer: As Congress works on its next relief package, we are extremely concerned about the significant health risk the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak poses for people experiencing homelessness and on individuals teetering on the edge of homelessness. We strongly urge you to provide $105 billion to state and local entities to protect those who are unhoused and those on the brink from becoming homeless from COVID-19 through the Emergency Solutions Grant Program and rental assistance programs for low-income individuals and families. There are an estimated 568,000 people experiencing homelessness on any given night in America, according to the most recent Annual Homelessness Assessment Report to Congress. This includes 171,670 people in families (including children), 35,038 unaccompanied homeless youth, and 96,141 chronically homeless individuals. We are very concerned because our neighbors experiencing homelessness reside in public spaces and congregate in shelters, where they may have higher exposure to the virus. Further, nationally, people experiencing homelessness have more limited access to the preventive measures recommended by the nation’s health authorities, including, social distancing, home isolation, handwashing, avoiding high-touch surfaces and rapid access to health care.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 May 20, 2021 the Honorable Charles Schumer Majority Leader
    May 20, 2021 The Honorable Charles Schumer The Honorable Nancy Pelosi Majority Leader Speaker United States Senate United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20515 The Honorable Mitch McConnell The Honorable Kevin McCarthy Minority Leader Minority Leader United States Senate United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20515 Dear Leader Schumer, Speaker Pelosi, Leader McConnell, and Leader McCarthy: As 81 mayors representing communities across 28 states and the District of Columbia, we write to urge Congress to enact the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act (AHCIA) of 2021, S. 1136 and H.R. 2573, which would strengthen and expand the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (Housing Credit). The Housing Credit is our nation’s primary tool for encouraging private investment in affordable rental housing. While rental assistance is critical for keeping renters in their homes during this time of financial instability, the need for more affordable housing production and preservation in cities and towns preceded the pandemic. Since its creation in the Tax Reform Act of 1986, the Housing Credit has been the primary financing source for the production and preservation of affordable rental housing. It has financed nearly 3.5 million apartments since 1986, providing affordable homes to approximately 8 million low-income households, including families, seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities. The Housing Credit brings together private-sector resources and oversight by state agencies, resulting in a durable solution to the need for affordable housing. The AHCIA of 2021 includes a number of provisions that would enhance the program and enable cities like ours to better serve the affordable housing needs in our communities.
    [Show full text]
  • 2017 State Legislative Resources International Association Of
    2017 State Legislative resources International association Of Machinists & Aerospace Workers INDEX Governors................................................................................................................. 1-2 Secretaries of State/Lieutenant Governors ............................................................. 3-6 Mayors ................................................................................................................... 7-15 State Session Schedules ....................................................................................... 16-19 State Legislature Control ..................................................................................... 20-22 Bill Crossover Deadlines ....................................................................................... 23-25 State Signing Deadlines ....................................................................................... 26-31 State Budget Timetables ...................................................................................... 32-37 The Ordinance Process .............................................................................................. 38 Definitions of Terms Used .................................................................................... 39-44 State Constitutional Convention ...................................................................... 39 State Governors Executive Orders ................................................................... 39 Types of Ballot Measure and Ballot Basics ......................................................
    [Show full text]
  • United States Conference of Mayors
    th The 84 Winter Meeting of The United States Conference of Mayors January 20-22, 2016 Washington, DC 1 #USCMwinter16 THE UNITED STATES CONFERENCE OF MAYORS 84th Winter Meeting January 20-22, 2016 Capital Hilton Hotel Washington, DC Draft of January 18, 2016 Unless otherwise noted, all plenary sessions, committee meetings, task force meetings, and social events are open to all mayors and other officially-registered attendees. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20 Registration 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. (Upper Lobby) Orientation for New Mayors and First Time Mayoral Attendees (Continental Breakfast) 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. (Statler ) The U.S. Conference of Mayors welcomes its new mayors, new members, and first time attendees to this informative session. Connect with fellow mayors and learn how to take full advantage of what the Conference has to offer. Presiding: TOM COCHRAN CEO and Executive Director The United States Conference of Mayors BRIAN C. WAHLER Mayor of Piscataway Chair, Membership Standing Committee 2 #USCMwinter16 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20 (Continued) Membership Standing Committee 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. (Federal A) Join us for an interactive panel discussion highlighting award-winning best practices and local mayoral priorities. Chair: BRIAN C. WAHLER Mayor of Piscataway Remarks: Mayor’s Business Council BRYAN K. BARNETT Mayor of Rochester Hills Solar Beaverton DENNY DOYLE Mayor of Beaverton City Energy Management Practices SHANE T. BEMIS Mayor of Gresham Council on Metro Economies and the New American City 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. (South American B) Chair: GREG FISCHER Mayor of Louisville Remarks: U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Washington City, 1800-1830 Cynthia Diane Earman Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College
    Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School Fall 11-12-1992 Boardinghouses, Parties and the Creation of a Political Society: Washington City, 1800-1830 Cynthia Diane Earman Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Part of the History Commons Recommended Citation Earman, Cynthia Diane, "Boardinghouses, Parties and the Creation of a Political Society: Washington City, 1800-1830" (1992). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 8222. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/8222 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. BOARDINGHOUSES, PARTIES AND THE CREATION OF A POLITICAL SOCIETY: WASHINGTON CITY, 1800-1830 A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in The Department of History by Cynthia Diane Earman A.B., Goucher College, 1989 December 1992 MANUSCRIPT THESES Unpublished theses submitted for the Master's and Doctor's Degrees and deposited in the Louisiana State University Libraries are available for inspection. Use of any thesis is limited by the rights of the author. Bibliographical references may be noted, but passages may not be copied unless the author has given permission. Credit must be given in subsequent written or published work. A library which borrows this thesis for use by its clientele is expected to make sure that the borrower is aware of the above restrictions.
    [Show full text]
  • November 25, 2019 the Honorable Michael R. Pompeo Secretary Of
    November 25, 2019 The Honorable Michael R. Pompeo Secretary of State U.S. Department of State 2201 C Street, NW Washington, DC 20230 Dear Secretary Pompeo, Mayors across the nation recognize the many contributions refugees make to their cities and to our nation as a whole. They strengthen our economy and enhance our culture. We write to urge the Administration to rescind the September 26 executive order and return this year’s refugee admissions to previous annual levels. For years, the United States has been a world leader in welcoming people who have fled violence and persecution and are seeking a safe place to call home. Since our refugee admissions program was established nearly 40 years ago, most administrations have recognized the global need for resettlement and determined the yearly admissions ceiling in consultation with Congress to fulfill the U.S. commitment. U.S. cities have long benefited from the annual arrival of refugees. Once they are resettled, refugees learn the new language, adjust to the different culture, and strive to establish a new life. In the process, they also enrich and bring cultural vibrancy and diversity to their local communities. Refugees contribute meaningfully to our economy as earners and taxpayers. While they receive initial assistance upon arriving in the United States, they see significant income increases in subsequent years. Their entrepreneurship rate is greater than that of other immigrants, as are their long-term investments in the country, including founding companies, earning citizenship, and buying homes. Indeed, they have positively reshaped cities across the country in recent decades by opening restaurants, buying vacant homes, contributing to the cultural landscape, and adding to the local workforce.
    [Show full text]
  • Sent a Letter
    March 26, 2020 Dr. Steven Dillingham, Ph.D Director United States Census Bureau Washington, DC 20233 Dear Dr. Dillingham: Given the unprecedented events associated with the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, we urge you to extend the Census response deadline beyond its currently scheduled conclusion on August 14, 2020 to September 30, 2020 and authorize United States Census Regional Offices to exercise flexibility in the timeline for enumeration in their respective jurisdictions. As our cities continue to dedicate resources to respond to this outbreak and take strong precautionary measures to ensure social distancing, there will be diminished capacity to administer the Census. A Census count under these circumstances would not only fail to properly account for our current population, particularly our most vulnerable residents, but could also have dire consequences for our communities’ public health. Over the past two years, our cities have worked with thousands of community-based and faith-based organizations to develop a wide array of targeted outreach strategies to educate and motivate residents to respond to the 2020 Census. These outreach strategies heavily rely on direct, face-to-face communication and interaction with residents to encourage participation in the Census and overcome barriers to participation that cause many communities to be historically undercounted. With the mandated cessation of all large gatherings and the imposition of social distancing practices, our cities and partners have had to cancel meetings, workshops, community and neighborhood events, as well as a variety of door-to-door canvassing operations. We know that none of these tried and true outreach methods are possible in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that any Census count that occurs without this outreach will cause an historic and extremely damaging undercount.
    [Show full text]