OU Advocacy Statement: Senate Passage of ‘American Rescue Plan’ Covid Relief Package - with Expanded Aid to Shuls, Schools other Nonprofits

By BJLife Newsroom
Posted on 03/08/21

Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America Welcomes Senate Passage of ‘American Rescue Plan’ Covid Relief Package

Legislation Includes Expanded Aid to Charities and Nonpublic K-12 Schools


Today, the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America (Orthodox Union), the nation’s largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization, welcomed the U.S. Senate's passage of the latest federal Covid relief package - the American Rescue Plan (ARP).  

The legislation contains several provisions that will benefit the Jewish community, including two in particular for which the Orthodox Union worked closely with coalition partners, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and other congressional leaders. These measures are:

Other provisions of the ARP that will benefit not only the Jewish community, but also American society at large, include dramatically expanding the federal child tax credit; extending unemployment insurance payments; and providing funding for Covid vaccine distribution.
 
Orthodox Union Executive Director for Public Policy Nathan Diament stated:  
“The Orthodox Jewish community in New York and across the United States is immensely grateful to Sen. Chuck Schumer for his leadership and determination to pass the American Rescue Plan and ensuring that it contains key provisions to deliver essential aid to our communities’ schools, synagogues as well as other nonprofit institutions on the front lines of supporting Americans as we weather this crisis. The challenges we face are unprecedented, and we are thus doubly grateful that the Senate and the Biden Administration are responding with historic measures such as the ARP.”
 
Orthodox Union President Mark (Moishe) Bane stated:  
“We urge the House of Representatives to follow the Senate’s lead and rapidly pass the ARP with no additional changes. We also look forward to working with President Biden and his administration to speedily implement the plan in ways that most effectively deliver these resources to our communities.”