U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen looks on during the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing to examine the FY22 budget request for the Treasury Department on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, U.S., June 23, 2021.
In remarks prepared for delivery to a meeting of the US Conference of Mayors, Yellen said state and local governments have been creative in using the funding from last year’s American Rescue Plan to meet different needs at different times. “Rather than one burst of money that could only be spent in certain ways, it called for sustained funding, and our Treasury team has worked hard so you can use the money as flexibly as possible,” Yellen added.
Minnesota has authorised over $80 million in funds from the program for health needs from rapid COVID tests to emergency surge staffing in hospitals, while St. Louis used $58 million from its allocation to spare residents from evictions and homelessness, supplementing rental assistance funds, she said.