WASHINGTON, March 6 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Saturday issued the following statement after the U.S. Senate voted to pass a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package:

“As Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, I am proud that we passed the American Rescue Plan, which, in my view, is the most significant piece of legislation to benefit working families in the modern history of this country. This package, among many other things, increases direct payments by $1400, extends unemployment benefits, reduces child poverty by half, ensures we are vaccinating as many people as possible, and puts us on a path to safely reopen schools.

“Working together with Sen. Leahy, we increased funding for Vermont in the state and local portion of the bill to a total of $1.35 billion. We also included an additional $152 million in funding to Vermonters for rent relief, $50 million for mortgage assistance, and $27 million for vaccine distribution. Vermont will also benefit from new education funding for afterschool and summer programs, a doubling of funding for community health centers, and a significant increase in funding for the needs of our veterans.

“Vermonters are hurting, and this comprehensive plan goes a long way to addressing the myriad crises that we face.”