Message from Representative Katie Porter

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed an incredible burden on Orange County. Many people are out of work, and our small businesses are struggling to stay afloat. Since the beginning of the pandemic, I have repeatedly said that relief from the federal government needs to match the scope and magnitude of the crisis we are in. That’s why I was proud to vote for the American Rescue Plan, which supports our state and local governments on the frontlines of helping families through the pandemic.

Fully staffed and funded state and municipal governments are key to our recovery. Local governments run our vaccination clinics and keep our first responders on the job.

The American Rescue Plan provides $350 billion in state and local funding to keep essential services operating. This includes $43 billion for California, with roughly $700 million for Orange County cities and $620 million for county-wide efforts. Our city governments lost tax revenue while the cost of health, emergency, and unemployment services soared. The funding in the American Rescue Plan will help our communities close budget gaps, so firefighters and first responders can stay on the job, teachers can be back in classrooms, and our cities can continue to provide necessary services.



Last year, I spearheaded a bipartisan letter with local leaders urging Congressional leadership to better support our communities.

I have been working to get our communities help since the beginning of the pandemic. Last year, I led a bipartisan group of mayors and councilmembers to call on House and Senate leadership to provide relief for Orange County cities. As a member of the House Oversight Committee, I spoke up on the importance of state and local funding in a public meeting.

This week, I hosted a town hall with State Senator Dave Min and Tustin Mayor Letitia Clark for a discussion on how federal, state, and local governments can work together to get us out of this crisis. We discussed how the Fiscal Recovery Funds from the American Rescue Plan will be allocated to local governments and how vaccines will be distributed so that they reach all communities.



Earlier this week, I hosted a virtual town hall with State Senator Dave Min and Tustin Mayor Letitia Clark to discuss state and local pandemic relief.

In addition to supporting our state and local governments, the latest COVID relief package includes key provisions that will help us get through the pandemic. It provides funding for more community vaccination sites nationwide to ramp up vaccine administration. Additionally, this bill invests in our schools, so that our children and educators can return safely. For more information about the American Rescue Plan, you can watch my whiteboard explainer HERE.

I will continue to fight for Orange County families, to help get our communities through this public health and economic crisis. To stay up to date on how I’m representing you and California’s 45th District, please follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @RepKatiePorter.