Dear Neighbors,
It’s a special week for Minnesotans of all beliefs and backgrounds. This Good Friday, perhaps more than most, we remember the power of hope and community as we find new ways to connect with one another.
Speaking of connections, I’m checking in to share my gratitude for Minnesota’s leaders and extraordinary public health officials. Our elected officials, first responders, and frontline healthcare staff are working hard to ensure a transparent, effective, and efficient response to coronavirus (COVID-19). We’re all in this together.
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| I have been listening to local leaders and converting those conversations into action. We’re working to improve the next COVID-19 relief package – together. |
Mayors and local officials are my partners in the mission to ensure that Minnesota families and businesses emerge from this as strong and as healthy as possible. Counties, cities, and towns with populations under 500,000 have not received funding in the relief packages passed so far. Thanks to some meaningful and ongoing teamwork, I’m advocating for the resources we need. I have co-sponsored the Coronavirus Community Relief Act, which will provide $250 billion for cities and towns across the United States that are struggling amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Funding for smaller counties, cities, and towns will help stabilize budgets that have faced enormous costs – from deploying timely public service announcements to rapidly activating emergency operations – while responding to coronavirus. Their work is essential to keeping us safe and mitigating the spread of the coronavirus.
As always, my office is here to help you. If you feel you’ve been treated unfairly by a federal agency or you aren’t getting an answer about your benefits, my team will do their best to help you receive a fair and timely response. If you or someone you know needs help with a federal agency, please call us at (952) 656-5176. In the meantime, here’s some good news about COVID-19 relief on the way to Minnesota:
- A boost to unemployment benefits: This week, Minnesotans were some of the first people in the entire country to automatically receive an extra $600 in unemployment benefits thanks to the CARES Act.
- Automatic relief payments: The IRS has streamlined its timeline for delivering direct economic impact payments to working families, and most Minnesotans will receive them automatically.
Keep the faith, keep in touch, and stay safe,
Dean Phillips
Member of Congress