NASHVILLE, TN – Congressman Jim Cooper briefed reporters last Thursday about the American Rescue Plan Act and then flew back to Nashville from Washington.
“This is a fantastic amount of money designed to help people who really need help as a result of the pandemic,” Cooper said. The bill is $1.9 trillion of a total $4.4 trillion in COVID pandemic aid Congress approved in the last year.
“This is literally one of the largest bills ever passed in American history,” he said. Tennessee will get an estimated $30 billion. That is in addition to the $34.9 billion Tennessee received from the CARES Act in 2020. The Tennessee State Budget in 2021 is $41.9 billion.
Cooper said press reports have stressed what’s not in the bill. The $15 minimum wage increase wasn’t included and the federal unemployment supplement was reduced from $400/wk. to $300/wk.
“It’s really important to realize that’s still double the maximum Tennessee benefit…. and there’s nothing stopping Tennessee from enhancing the benefit on its own,” Cooper said.
He presented a pie chart of the Rescue Plan, noting that even the tiniest pieces are huge. “The big pieces of this pie are gargantuan,” he said.
The biggest slice is $411 billion in stimulus checks, followed by $350 billion in aid to state and local governments. That piece, which Congressional Republicans really didn’t like, was welcome news to many downstream Republicans facing budget shortfalls
Because of COVID, city and county mayors haven’t gotten enough tax revenue to pay their bills. They have been rescued from having to cut services or lay off first responders or both.
“Notable for Nashville, there is big money in this bill for restaurants, for music venues, and for bars,” he said, noting that Nashville’s economy is very dependent on those small businesses.
“The restaurants got basically exactly what they asked for,” Cooper said.
Regarding healthcare for low-income families, Tennessee is one of 12 states that have not expanded Medicaid.
“Tennessee is being offered an $830 million carrot, or a bonus, if they only expand Medicaid.” Governor Lee has already turned down $1 billion/yr. in federal money to insure Tennessee’s poorest residents. This benefit would almost double the federal Medicaid subsidy.
“This is the best deal Tennessee or any state is ever going to get so I hope Tennessee accepts the carrot.”
Tennessee K-12 schools will get $2.4 billion; Cheatham County about $6 million; Davidson County about $319 billion; Dickson County about $14 million. Tennessee colleges will get $702 million.
Tennessee businesses will get $2 billion in SBA loans; Cooper’s 5th District will get about $4 million. PPP loans will be increased in Tennessee by $8 billion. The 5th District will get about $1 billion in payroll protection loans.
Rental assistance for homeless students, emergency food and shelter funding, emergency rental assistance, homeowner aid, and rural rental assistance in Tennessee total $361 million.
To read more about how the American Rescue Plan Act will help families with children, unemployed workers, and the failed attempt to raise the minimum wage see Rescue Act.
