Rep. John Larson appeared at a press conference at the Bristol Public Works Department garage on Vincent P. Kelly Road on Saturday to go over aspects of the newly passed American Rescue Plan. 

As the details of the act began to emerge, it is obvious, looking at the numbers being released, that Bristol will be getting a massive boost to its economic health, receiving $36 million in assistance, with the city government getting close to $17 million, and the Bristol school system $19 million.

Larson opened his remarks by saying that it was appropriate that he could come to Bristol on a Saturday morning when city volunteers were distributing food to hundreds of people in need.

“What makes a community resilient is when you see the volunteer effort” like the one Bristol has mounted throughout the past year, Larson said.

He said that the first goal when President Biden became president was to get the virus under control and ultimately ended. He added that the vaccination effort was increasing by the day, and Larson stated he was impressed with the leadership of the president in that effort.

“It was never an issue that people understood the scope and depth of this problem and how vitally important it was to get money back to the people that are on the front lines, that are in the hospitals, that are the teachers of our children, that are our civil servants,” Larson said.

“Whether that be the police, the fire fighters, EMTs, and the public officials who have worked so hard,” he said.

He praised the efforts of Mayor Zoppo-Sassu who works hard for the city of Bristol.

“She lobbies all the time to get the help that her people need,” Larson said.

Larson likened this period in history to the era of the New Deal in the 1930’s, when emergency action was needed.

“We could not afford to go small,” Larson said about the response to this crisis. He stated that 1.5 million households in Connecticut will receive a total of $4 billion.

Mayor Ellen Zoppo-Sassu, who introduced Larson, said that the leaders of the city government were “extremely excited” to be receiving such a generous grant from our federal government, and that she and the other city leaders and department heads had already been talking about how best to put the award to use, especially in light of Bristol’s response to the crisis.

All of them agreed that this influx of money to our city will be a “game changer,” she said.

Five thousand Bristol residents have been infected with the coronavirus, and 131 had died from the disease, she said.

When Congress passed the Covid relief package last week, entitled the American Rescue Plan, it was touted as a game changer for the poor and middle-class citizens of the country, but also a huge boost for cities and towns across the United States.

For individuals and families, this means receiving $1,400 for every person making less than $75,000 in 2019, or a married couple combining to make less than $150,000. A typical family of four in our city will soon be receiving $5,600, a much-needed assist after a difficult year for many.

The money that the city receives will be an immediate boost to local merchants, restaurants, and small businesses, as people will be able to pay their bills and buy things that in the past year had to be delayed.

Not all of the requirements and regulations of the legislation are known at this time, but this much is already understood.

• The state of Connecticut, plus Bristol (and all local governments) must provide periodic reports to the U.S. Treasury Department with a detailed accounting of the use of the funds. Funds can be recouped by the Treasury Department if the recipient does not comply with the eligible uses.
• The city will receive allocations in two distributions- the first half 60 days after enactment of the bill and the other half one year later.
• Funds must be spent by the end of calendar year 2024

More complete details on The American Rescue Plan can be found at Larson.house.gov/Americanrescue