To the editor:

The American Rescue Plan is here!

Thank you to Senators Klobuchar and Smith for voting to pass this critical relief bill, Vice President Harris for the tie-breaking vote in the Senate, and President Biden for signing it into law.

The American Rescue Plan targets help to low- and moderate-income American families. Families with children will begin to receive monthly payments, which will reduce the American child poverty rate by half, the overall American poverty rate by one third, and brings much needed financial relief to approximately 85% of American families. Health insurance premiums will be significantly lower for millions of people. If you lose your job, this plan will help pay a portion of your COBRA premiums so you can better afford them and do not end up going uninsured.

A number of false claims have been made about this legislation. The fact is that this legislation will benefit people in our district much more than the tax cuts that primarily benefited the wealthy, most of whom do not even live in Minnesota. It is reasonable to be concerned about the deficit. However, the cost of this bill pales in comparison to the $7+ trillion that was added to the deficit under the previous presidential administration.

Matt Mihlbauer

New Ulm