LI Reps Suozzi, Rice Approve $1.9 Trillion Coronavirus Aid

WASHINGTON, DC — Long Island’s Democratic delegation — including U.S. reps Thomas Suozzi and Kathleen Rice — voted with fellow caucus members to approve President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus aid bill, the American Rescue Plan, on Saturday.

The aid package includes a $1,400 stimulus check, an extension of unemployment benefits, which end on March 14, and more funding for vaccines and COVID-19 research, the Associated Press reported. It was approved 219-212.

The package also contains over $23 billion in aid that is slated for New York, including $12.6 billion for the state and $10.8 billion for its counties and other municipalities, which will be used to offset unplanned costs associated with the pandemic, according to Suozzi’s office. It will also be used to make up for lost revenue and will help keep public employees like teachers, firefighters, and police officers on the job, his office said.

Suozzi, of Glen Cove, described the pandemic as “cruelly uneven” during his address on the House floor.

“Some have been unscathed, while others have done well, working remotely, not knowing anyone who has gotten sick or died in their immediate circle,” said Suozzi, whose district runs along the north shore from Bayside, Queens to Smithtown. “New York was one of the first and hardest-hit states during the pandemic. Carrying the financial burden of the pandemic response has left our state and local governments crippled. But help is on the way for anyone and everyone in need.”

Twenty-five billion in direct aid for restaurants, live venues, and catering halls has also been set aside in the package, including a provision that will allow the businesses to qualify for up to $10 million in aid, Suozzi’s office said. Five billion will be set aside for restaurants making under $500,000 a year, Suozzi’s office said.

There is also an additional $15 billion for Economic Industry Disaster Loans, which can help businesses and non-profit organizations experiencing a loss in revenue, as well as $7.25 billion to offset the cost of expanding the Paycheck Protection Program to include non-profits, unions, and internet-only news publishers, his office said.

Freshman Republican Andrew Garbarino, whose district runs from Wantagh to Bayport, voted against the bill, calling it partisan and focused “more on enacting bad policies than providing relief” because less than 9% of funding in the bill goes to combatting COVID-19.

“If our number one priority is defeating COVID-19 and returning our country back to normal, then a relief bill should solely focus on improving testing and vaccine distribution, sending our children back to school, and safely re-opening our economy,” said in a statement released by his press office. “We must learn to work together in order to deliver meaningful results for our communities, hospitals, and businesses and defeat this invisible enemy once and for all.”

The bill will head for a vote this week in the Senate, where it will likely be pared down during budget reconciliation and possibly fast-tracked using Vice President Kamala Harris’ vote as a tie-breaker, Newsday reported.