The American Rescue Plan

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 is a $1.9 trillion coronavirus rescue package designed to facilitate the United States’ recovery from the devastating economic and health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The plan—which passed the House on Feb. 27, 2021, and the Senate on March 6, 2021—was signed into law by President Biden on March 11, 2021.

The bill passed the House by a vote of 219–212 on February 27. All but two Democrats voted for the bill and all Republicans voted against the bill. A modified version passed the Senate on March 6 by a vote of 50–49. The final amended bill was passed by the House on March 10 by a vote of 220–211 with one Democrat voting against it with all Republicans

The nearly $2 trillion price tag makes this economic rescue legislation one of the most expensive in U.S. history. It is one part of President Biden's Build Back Better plan, which also includes the American Jobs Plan and the American Families Plan.

The package includes direct stimulus payments of $1,400, extending unemployment compensation, continuing eviction and foreclosure moratoriums, and increasing the Child Tax Credit while making it fully refundable. It provides funds for state and local governments to help compensate for lost tax revenues, money for schools from kindergarten through eighth grade to safely reopen amid the pandemic, and subsidizes COVID-19 testing and vaccination programs.