Lily Eskelsen García, President
National Education Association
Good evening,
At NEA’s tele-town hall about the coronavirus earlier this week, I promised to share a readout of the $2 trillion stimulus package moving its way through Congress.
Today, the President signed the relief bill into law. It’s not perfect and so much more will be needed, but it addresses many urgent needs of our students, educators, schools, and communities, including:
an immediate stimulus check for most households, up to $1,200 per person and $500 per child;
a state stabilization fund to help fill expected budget gaps and help prevent educator layoffs;
expanded unemployment insurance;
6-month suspension on federal student loan payments;
tens of billions of dollars to help prevent greater housing insecurity.
For a full breakdown of what is included in the stimulus package, please click here to see a summary from our Government Relations team.
Notably, Congress did not directly include help for students who do not have internet at home. Instead, the bill makes it an allowable use among the stabilization funds. With tens of millions of students at home and educators seeking ways to deliver instruction, every student needs the technology to ensure they don’t fall behind. NEA’s request of $2 billion to address the homework gap is a drop in the bucket in a multi-trillion-dollar bill. Additionally, more funding will be needed to stabilize state budgets and increase voting efforts (including vote by mail, early voting, and online registration).
So much more will be needed in the coming months. The global crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic evolves by the hour. As we learn about the full impact on the economy, students, educators, and schools, more action and spending will be necessary.
Be sure to check out our COVID-19 page on Education Votes for more legislative updates and nea.org/coronavirus for more resources.
We will continue making the case for what our students and schools need because we know the path to our nation’s economic recovery and prosperity runs through our classrooms.
Lastly, I can’t say it enough: Thank you for all you’re doing for our students and their families during this critical time. It’s moments like these that demonstrate the dedication of our educators, the importance of our public schools, and our ability to help one another.
Yours,
-- Lily
Lily Eskelsen García
President
National Education Association
