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Pallone Says American Rescue Plan will Accelerate COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution and Administration

March 26, 2021

Sayreville, NJ – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) today held a press conference to discuss how the American Rescue Plan will accelerate COVID-19 vaccine distribution and administration in New Jersey. He was joined by Middlesex County officials at a vaccination site to highlight the state's ongoing efforts to vaccinate residents efficiently and equitably.

"We are in a race against time to make sure everyone in New Jersey has access to a lifesaving COVID-19 vaccine. The historic American Rescue Plan provides the tools and resources needed to crush the virus here in New Jersey and across the country. With three safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines authorized by the Food and Drug Administration, our mission is to get shots into people's arms quickly and equitably, so that we can end this pandemic as soon as possible," Pallone said. "The American Rescue Plan provides funding to speed up COVID-19 vaccination efforts across the country, supports the development of community vaccination centers, and provides funding for mobile vaccination units in underserved areas. I want to thank everyone who joined me here today. I also want to thank our frontline health care workers who are doing everything they can to efficiently and equitably vaccinate our community."

"The American Rescue Plan is a tremendous win for our country," said Assembly Speaker Craig J. Coughlin (D-Middlesex) "The Plan provides the funding necessary to scale up the vaccine rollout in our state. It also delivers much-needed stimulus checks for almost 3.7 million New Jerseyans, an expansion of the Child Tax Credit Program, support for Unemployment Insurance benefits and over $10 billion in State and local aid for New Jersey. I thank President Biden and New Jersey's Congressional Delegation, including Congressman Pallone for quickly passing the American Rescue Plan."

"The American Rescue Plan, championed by Congressman Pallone, is the national plan our country needs in order to help put an end to the public health and economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This funding will provide vital support for our residents and small businesses, as well as our County-wide COVID-19 vaccination efforts. One year into this pandemic and the resulting economic crisis, help has arrived thanks to the leadership of President Biden and the hard work of our representatives in Washington, D.C. – especially Congressman Pallone," said County Commissioner Deputy Director Kenneth Armwood.

"Middlesex County's commitment to battling COVID-19 has been strong since the beginning days of the pandemic a little over a year ago. From providing testing at walk-up, drive-thru, and mobile testing sites to now supplying our residents with vaccines at our seven vaccination sites located throughout the County, our dedication to this fight has never wavered. We could not have reached this point in our fight against the virus, with an end in sight, without the staunch advocacy of our national and state delegation and the support of our local municipal leadership," said County Commissioner Shanti Narra.

Pallone authored key provisions of the American Rescue Plan including provisions to increase funding for COVID-19 vaccines, testing, and contact tracing. The historic legislation provides:

  • Over $20 billion to establish a national COVID-19 vaccination program and improve the administration and distribution of vaccinations
  • $47.8 billion for testing, contact tracing, and mitigation
  • $25 billion to address health disparities and protect vulnerable populations

Pallone advocated for the creation of the Community Health Centers Vaccination Program and worked with the Biden Administration to further expand the program and ensure additional centers in New Jersey would become eligible. As a result, four centers in New Jersey's 6th Congressional District became eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines directly from the federal government. Yesterday, Pallone announced that Community Health Centers in New Jersey would receive nearly $130 million to expand access to COVID-19 vaccines, testing, and preventative health services. Last week, he announced that New Jersey would receive over $267 million to support COVID-19 screening testing for teachers, staff, and students so that schools can safely re-open for in-person instruction.