July 04, 2021

Duckworth Discusses Importance of American Rescue Plan Funding for Local Governments with Bloomington-Normal Mayors

 

[BLOOMINGTON, IL] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today met with Bloomington Mayor Mboka Mwilambwe and Normal Mayor Chris Koos to discuss how federal funding in President Biden’s American Rescue Plan (ARP) can help municipal governments recover from the economic impacts of COVID-19 and build back an economy that works for everyone. In total, Illinois will receive more than $13 billion in relief funding, with more than $13 million for Bloomington and $10 million for Normal. A photo from today’s meeting is available here.

“We know our local governments are hurting from the economic impacts of COVID-19,” Duckworth said. “I’m pleased Illinois municipalities like Bloomington and Normal are receiving this critical funding directly as a result of Democrats’ efforts to pass President Biden’s American Rescue Plan. It’s important local governments have the necessary resources to recover from COVID-19, and I’ll keep doing all that I can to support communities all across Illinois.”

“We are pleased and feel very fortunate to be on the receiving end of this much needed monetary boost,” Mwilambwe said. “As a community we have faced a great number of tests throughout the pandemic and this federal support will help as we return to business as usual.”

“The pandemic impacted every aspect of our community. As we move into recovery, Normal is thoughtfully considering how to best use these funds to make a lasting impact, now and into the future,” Koos said. “Ideally, we want to support public health, address economic hardships and serve those hardest-hit while balancing those needs with upgrading and maintaining existing infrastructure that will boost economic development.”

In May, U.S. Treasury Department began accepting eligible state and local government requests for Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds to help COVID-19 response efforts, strengthen support for public services and help retain jobs, assist small businesses and address systemic public health and economic challenges.

In March, Duckworth wrote to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen expressing the need for quick and flexible guidance from Treasury to states so local governments can get relief immediately. Throughout the pandemic Duckworth continuously called for maximum flexibility and fairness for local relief dollars.