Last week was an exciting one, with the first payments of the expanded Child Tax Credit going out! My Democratic colleagues and I fought hard for this provision of the American Rescue Plan, and it is exciting to see what good these payments will do. If you have questions, or didn’t get your payment, please visit ChildTaxCredit.gov or call the IRS at 800-829-1040. You can also contact my office by sending an email here or calling 860-278-8888.  

Thanks to the American Rescue Plan, which I proudly supported, Connecticut is on the road to recovery. Here are some highlights from the past two weeks:  

• I joined First Selectman Jason Bowsza in East Windsor to announce the ERASE COVID-19 grant program. This funding from the American Rescue Plan will be used to help small businesses recover from the pandemic.   

• On Tuesday, I visited the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology. My funding request for their CommUNITY eCommons program, which was included in the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill, will help them revitalize small businesses and bolster CT’s manufacturing workforce! 

• Later that day, I held my first in-person town hall since the COVID-19 pandemic began! It was wonderful to hear from our community about their concerns, while giving an update from Washington and Ken Corbin assisting from the IRS on what to expect with the expanded Child Tax Credit payments. 

• I joined West Hartford Mayor Shari Cantor to hear from business owners in the area about how they are using resources from the American Rescue Plan relief bill to recover from this unprecedented year. Many small businesses across the District have received funding through the Paycheck Protection Program and the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF). There is still more work to do, and that is why I am fighting in Congress to replenish the RRF and provide more resources for small businesses to get back on their feet.  

• On Thursday, I was with Catholic Charities to celebrate the expanded Child Tax Credit and make sure the word is getting out to those who are eligible. This monumental portion of the American Rescue Plan is expected to cut our country’s child poverty rate in half! 77% of children in CT-01 will benefit from this provision. I am so proud of my work with the Ways and Means Committee, and with Rep. Rosa DeLauro, to make this possible. Qualified families who filed taxes in 2019 or 2020, will get these payments automatically starting July 15. If you did not file taxes, you can register for your payment here.  

• On Friday, I went to Bristol to highlight the UniteCT emergency rental assistance program. With federal COVID-relief funding I voted for in March, the CT Department of Housing set up this program to provide up to $15,000 in rental and $1,500 in electric utility assistance to tenants and landlords that have been financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. You can apply for UniteCT assistance here. 

Now, I’m headed back to Washington to work on infrastructure, voting rights, appropriations funding, and other initiatives that are important to our community. To follow what I’m working on both in Washington and in Connecticut, visit my Facebook page, follow me on Twitter, or follow me on Instagram. 

Regards,

John B. Larson
Member of Congress