People are hurting. Even before the pandemic, the 2nd Congressional District had 4 of the 10 poorest cities in NJ. The pandemic hit the poorest people hardest. Our district also includes a lot of businesses in the hospitality industry. They were ordered to close. Employees and business owners alike are in trouble and it’s not their fault.

Charitable organizations and local communities have stepped up. It’s time for our government to step up. It should be our government’s highest priority right now! None of us caused the pandemic but all of us are affected by it.

The American Rescue Plan provides funding for food stamps, schools, childcare, elder care, testing, treatment, prevention, and vaccination. It also provides funding for mental health services, rental and homeowner assistance, small business assistance including specific programs for restaurants and live venues, programs for health care workers, transportation workers, federal employees, veterans, and other targeted populations. Also included are much needed payments to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments and funding for international and humanitarian relief.

We can all agree the bill has a hefty price tag. But think about some of the foolish things on which our government spends our tax dollars: $930,000,000 to print a bunch of documents that nobody reads anyway, $175,000,000 to maintain hundreds of government buildings that have been vacant for years, $862,000 to store unused government furniture. And the list goes on!

The 2nd Congressional District is hurting. Maybe you’re OK, but many of your neighbors are not. Some politicians have said a bill this large should not be rushed. If you can’t feed your children or you’ve lost your home, you can’t wait around for politicians to talk about it. If your legislator didn’t care enough about his constituents to help ease their suffering, he doesn’t deserve to be your legislator.