WASHINGTON, 02 February 2022, (TON): Thank you for joining us here today. We know how important the work governors do is to the health of our people and our economy because in so much of our work at the Department of the Treasury, you are our most critical partners.

I’ve seen your great work firsthand, in my travels across the country from Connecticut to California, New York to Nevada, and elsewhere, where I’ve seen countless innovative ways American Rescue Plan funds are being used to meet immediate needs while also focusing on an equitable economic recovery for the long term.

For example, Maryland is investing $92 million in helping connect workers impacted by the pandemic connect to new employment through training, apprenticeships, transitional employment, and summer youth programs, while Connecticut has created an innovative program to use Emergency Rental Assistance funds to proactively help households pay their utilities bills and keep the lights on, as well as stay in their homes.

Much of this work has been driven by the $350 billion the American Rescue Plan provided for states and localities to ensure we did not repeat the mistakes of the last recession, where state budget and job cuts held back the recovery for far too long.