Bernie Buzz

On the last day of Black History Month, I implore each of us to continue learning. Black History IS American history. Let us commit to learning the true history of our nation, and to celebrating the contributions of Black Americans every day — every month of the year. As February ends, I’d like to honor the experiences of Black Vermonters and share just a few stories about the work they are doing to make Vermont a welcoming place for all.

Let me take this opportunity to wish all Vermonters a wonderful holiday season and a healthy and happy New Year. This has been an extremely difficult year for all of us. The COVID-19 virus and the economic catastrophe that followed has created one of the most stressful times in modern American history. The good news is there is some light at the end of the tunnel.

Vermont seniors — please join me for a virtual town hall this Thursday, December 17th at 5:00 P.M.

While we can’t be together in person this year for our annual senior holiday dinners, this town hall is a way for us to gather virtually. It will be an opportunity for me to share an update from Congress and hear from you about issues of importance to you. You can share your thoughts on the current pandemic, issues that impact your daily life like the high cost of prescription drugs and the importance of social security, or even tell me about what you worry about for your children and grandchildren, like student debt, affordable child care, and climate change. If the issue matters to you, I hope you’ll share your thoughts with me.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, commonly known as the CARES Act, is the largest emergency relief package in American history and included a substantial amount of direct aid to states. This flexible funding was included to help individual states respond to the unique needs related to this health and economic crisis. Vermont received $1.25 billion in this state-based funding, which is in addition to the tens of millions of dollars of federal aid provided to support critical services in Vermont like health care, housing assistance, emergency preparedness, and child nutrition. This is the single largest federal grant Vermont has ever received. Since the CARES Act was signed into law on March 27, the Vermont legislature worked diligently to determine how best to allocate the federal aid to address the many needs of Vermonters.