WASHINGTON, D.C. (NAFB) – The Senate Saturday passed the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package.

The package, known as the American Rescue Plan, will extend federal unemployment benefits, offer up to $1,400 in direct payments to individuals earning less than $80,000, and increase funding for several nutrition assistance programs. Additionally, it authorizes several provisions to bolster rural and agricultural communities, including a pilot program to facilitate the distribution of vaccines and other medical supplies in rural areas, debt relief for historically disadvantaged farmers, and $4 billion to build resilience in the food system.

National Farmers Union President Rob Larew says, “This legislation provides a lifeline that will help keep families afloat until their hardships subside.”

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack stated, “I am grateful to the U.S. Senate” for passing the bill, adding the American Rescue Plan is historic, “namely for the transformative debt relief it provides to Black, Indigenous, Hispanic, and other farmers of color.”

Vilsack says USDA stands ready to these important provisions of the bill once it clears Congress and is signed into law by President Joe Biden.