Published May 05, 2021 
Biden Administration Marks 100 Days in Office
Last week, President Biden and Vice President Harris marked their first 100 days in office. Since January 20, the Biden-Harris Administration has:
- Signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act into law, which included $200 million for the Nurse Corps Programs and additional monies for public health, higher education, and vaccine distribution;
- Doubled the vaccination goal with 200 million vaccinations administered by April 21;
- Unveiled a two-part infrastructure plan, including the American Families Plan and the American Jobs Plan. These plans outline investments for children and families, education, the healthcare workforce, and other innovations.
- Issued more than 60 executive actions, including ones related to COVID-19, equity and inclusion, and student loan deferment.
On April 30, AACN attended an Axios event: “A Conversation on Biden’s First 100 Days,” with Senator Tom Hickenlooper (D-CO) and Congressman Steve Scalise (R-LA-01). This bipartisan discussion highlighted potential common ground on infrastructure legislation and other developments that took place during President Biden’s first 100 days in office. Click here to watch a recording of this event.
HHS Awards Millions in American Rescue Plan Funding to Expand COVID-19 Training and Support for Health Centers
On April 29, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has awarded more than $32 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to 122 organizations. This funding provides training and technical assistance support to the HRSA Health Center Program and supported health centers nationwide. The goal of these funds is to promote effective and efficient use of resources to support equitable access to COVID-19 vaccination, testing, and treatment. Please click here for relevant resources including list of PCA award recipients, NTTAP award recipients, and HCCN award recipients.
House “Dear Colleague” Letter Supporting Title VIII FY 2022 Funding Request Garnered Strong Bipartisan Support
On April 28, a bipartisan “Dear Colleague” letter, circulated by House Nursing Caucus Vice Co-Chairs, Reps. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-01) and Rodney Davis (R-IL-13), was sent to the House Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee requesting $530 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 for Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development programs. Thanks to your conversations during AACN’s Spring Virtual Hill Day, and your response to AACN’s action alert asking your Representative to support this bold funding request for Title VIII programs, we are pleased to announce that 89 Representatives, from both sides of the aisle, signed onto this letter! This strong bipartisan support reinforces the need for additional funding of these programs in the coming fiscal year. We could not have done it without you!
AACN will monitor ongoing conversations as the appropriation process continues in both the House and Senate. We look forward to working with you, our AACN Advocates, as we champion funding for Title VIII and NINR in FY 2022. For the latest updates, please follow us on Twitter @AACNPolicy.
