Ken Berlin, President And CEO of The Climate Reality Project on the Passage of The American Rescue Plan Act: “Government Meeting the Moment.”

“The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) is a desperately needed step forward in our battle against COVID-19, and it will be among our most important tools for ending the pandemic and confronting long-standing economic and racial disparities exacerbated by this crisis. Plain and simple: ​this is government meeting the moment.

“Most importantly, the American Rescue Plan provides billions in direct relief to millions of families who are unemployed, hungry, or in need. It also firmly acknowledges the important links between public health and the environment, and as such, includes key provisions to tackle pollution and environmental injustice plaguing low-income communities and communities of color. Through the ARPA, $4.5 billion will be directed to the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, $30 billion dollars towards public transit, and crucially, $100 million to environmental justice grants focused on air pollution monitoring and improving health outcomes in frontline communities. 

“A crisis of this magnitude requires bold action from government, and the American people deserve nothing less than an unprecedented, ambitious piece of legislation to tackle the challenges ahead. We commend our leaders for pushing the ARPA across the finish line, but our work is not done. We need to invest trillions more into clean energy to truly put our economy back on track and address the climate, racial, and equity crises threatening our future.”