Richmond, VA — As the Biden-Harris administration marks its 100th day serving the American people, Virginians are already seeing the benefits of Democratic leadership. Over 2.5 million Virginians are fully vaccinated, and Virginia's daily average of new COVID cases is at its lowest point since mid-October. Thanks to the American Rescue Plan, millions of Virginians have received $1,400 checks and 85,000 Virginia children stand to be lifted out of poverty thanks to the expanded Child Tax Credit. Virginia K-12 schools are set to receive over $2 billion, and over 400,000 childless workers, including many in frontline jobs, will see a $1,000 boost to their earned income tax credit.
Nationwide, the economy added a record number of jobs and grew an astonishing 6.4% during the first months of 2021. Among other things, President Biden has fulfilled campaign promises to rejoin the Paris Climate Accords, deliver 200 million COVID vaccine shots in the first 100 days, end the ban on transgender Americans from serving in the military, and proposed historic plans to invest in infrastructure and create millions of good paying jobs. Polling shows these proposals are broadly popular across the political spectrum.
Virginians across the commonwealth are speaking out to credit Democrats for the transformative change of the past 100 days:
Thomasine Wilson, home care worker and SEIU Virginia 512 member from Richmond: “As a home care worker, I've been on the front lines of this pandemic every single day, making sure that older adults and people with disabilities stay healthy and safe. And I've seen firsthand how President Biden and Vice President Harris are fighting to support working families like mine and the people I care for. From more vaccine funding to stimulus checks, this administration's bold agenda during the first 100 days is turning the tide on COVID and giving us hope for a better future. Now, we're working with the President to pass the American Jobs Plan and its historic funding to ensure quality home care and great care worker jobs for all Americans. I'm excited to see Democrats continue to prioritize good union jobs and quality health care for hard-working Virginians.”
Kellen Squire, nurse from Charlottesville: "After working on the front lines of this pandemic, it’s clear that the difference between Trump and Biden has been night and day. In the last 100 days I've seen case numbers fall thanks to vaccinations, my colleagues and I finally have enough PPE, and Democrats delivered critical aid with the American Rescue Plan that helped my community begin to return to normal. With the administration beating its goals on vaccinations and Virginia's economy recovering, Democrats are showing us how much real leadership matters during a crisis."
Mark Kernohan, business leader and community advocate from Farmville: "As a manager of a small business, my livelihood depends on seeing customers in person. Seeing my community return to normal this year and being able to open up our businesses has been a constant reminder that competent leadership matters. The Biden-Harris administration's tireless work to roll out COVID vaccines and deliver checks to Virginians as fast as possible has put our local economy back on track. I'm confident that Democrats will continue fighting for Virginians as we move forward."
Democratic Party of Virginia Chair Susan Swecker: “President Biden began the year promising ‘help is on the way,’ and these past 100 days are a clear sign that he’s delivered. From a vaccine rollout that has delivered shots to over half of all Americans and helped us begin to reopen, to exciting new plans to reinvigorate our economy with historic investments in infrastructure, Democrats are continuing to fight for working families. Our commonwealth is ready to emerge from the pandemic stronger thanks to the leadership of the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats at all levels.”
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