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Key Takeaway
Blackburn voted against the American Rescue Plan that sent $1,400 stimulus checks to Tennessee families, funded vaccine distribution, and provided billions in state and local government relief during the pandemic.
$4.7 Billion in ARP Funds That Reached Tennessee Communities
Despite Blackburn’s opposition, East Tennessee communities used American Rescue Plan funds extensively. Johnson City received millions in State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, which it directed toward infrastructure funding improvements, public safety, and economic recovery programs. Kingsport, Bristol, and Sullivan County received similar allocations. These funds helped local governments maintain essential services during a period when tax revenues had dropped and demand for public health and emergency services had surged.
The ARP also funded Tennessee’s vaccine distribution infrastructure, including rural vaccination sites in East Tennessee that were critical for reaching elderly and isolated populations. School districts in the 1st Congressional District used ARP education funding to address learning loss, upgrade ventilation systems, and hire additional support staff to help students recover from pandemic disruptions.
PPP Loans and How Local Restaurants and Shops Stayed Open With ARP Grants in the Tri-Cities
The American Rescue Plan included $50 billion for small business relief, including Restaurant Revitalization Fund grants and Economic Injury Disaster Loan supplements. Small businesses across East Tennessee — restaurants, retailers, service providers, and Main Street operations — used these programs to survive the pandemic and retain employees. The ARP’s expanded child tax credit, which provided up to $3,600 per child, directly supported working families in a region where median household incomes fall below both state and national averages.
Tennessee’s governor plays a critical role in administering and distributing federal relief and recovery funds. Blackburn’s opposition to the ARP raises a practical question: if a future emergency requires similar federal support, would Governor Blackburn aggressively pursue and distribute those funds for Tennessee communities, or would ideological opposition to federal spending lead to slower action and missed opportunities?
Blackburn Opposed the American Rescue Plan — the Lifeline Appalachian Communities Desperately Needed
In March 2021, Senator Marsha Blackburn voted against the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP), the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package that funded vaccine distribution, direct stimulus payments, small business support, school reopening aid, and state and local fiscal recovery. Every Republican senator, including Blackburn, voted No. The law passed without a single Republican vote and went on to deliver billions in relief to Tennessee communities.
ARP Dollars That Went Directly to Sullivan, Washington, and Carter Counties
Despite Blackburn’s opposition, the American Rescue Plan directed significant resources to communities across Tennessee’s 1st Congressional District. Direct payments of $1,400 per person went to millions of Tennessee families. Expanded child tax credits provided up to $3,600 per child, lifting thousands of Appalachian children out of poverty. Enhanced unemployment benefits helped workers laid off during pandemic closures. And the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund sent hundreds of millions directly to Tennessee counties and municipalities.
How Local Restaurants and Shops Stayed Open With ARP Grants
The ARP extended and expanded the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and created new small business relief programs. For restaurants, shops, and service providers across the Tri-Cities region and smaller communities throughout East Tennessee, these programs were often the difference between surviving the pandemic and closing permanently. The Restaurant Revitalization Fund, Economic Injury Disaster Loans, and other ARP-funded programs kept Main Street businesses alive while Blackburn voted to deny them this support.
School Reopening Funds for Tennessee K-12 Districts
The ARP provided $130 billion for K-12 schools to safely reopen, including funding for ventilation improvements, PPE, mental health services, and learning recovery programs. Tennessee school districts in the TN-1 region used these funds to address learning loss from the pandemic, hire additional counselors, and upgrade facilities. The expanded child tax credit alone reduced child poverty in Tennessee by an estimated 40% during the months it was in effect.
Vaccine Rollout Funding at Ballad Health and Local Health Departments
The ARP funded the national vaccine distribution effort that was critical for rural communities where healthcare infrastructure is limited. Funding went to community health centers, mobile vaccination units, and public health departments across Appalachian Tennessee. Without this federal investment, many rural residents would have faced even longer waits and longer drives to get vaccinated.
Where Tennessee Spent Its $4.7 Billion in ARP Funds
Despite Blackburn’s vote against the American Rescue Plan, Tennessee received billions in federal relief through the law. State and local governments used these funds for a wide range of purposes: supporting small businesses that had been devastated by lockdowns, funding vaccine distribution and public health operations, providing rental assistance to families facing eviction, supporting childcare providers, and investing in water and broadband infrastructure.
Cities and counties across East Tennessee received direct allocations that funded critical recovery efforts. Johnson City, Kingsport, Bristol, and smaller municipalities used ARP funds to maintain essential services during a period when tax revenues had declined and demand for public services had surged. Without this funding, many local governments would have faced painful budget cuts to police, fire, public works, and social services.
$1,400 Stimulus Checks and the Expanded Child Tax Credit
The ARP provided $1,400 stimulus payments to most American adults and their dependents, as well as an expanded Child Tax Credit that provided monthly payments of $250 to $300 per child to qualifying families. In Tennessee, these payments had a measurable impact on poverty rates, particularly child poverty. The Census Bureau’s Supplemental Poverty Measure showed that the expanded Child Tax Credit lifted millions of children above the poverty line nationwide.
For families in East Tennessee — where median household incomes are below the state and national averages — these direct payments provided meaningful economic relief during the pandemic’s most challenging period. Blackburn’s vote against the ARP was a vote against delivering this assistance to her own constituents, even as the economic consequences of the pandemic were still unfolding.
ESSER Funds That Reopened East Tennessee Schools
The ARP included $122 billion for K-12 schools nationwide, the largest single federal investment in education. Tennessee school districts used these funds to implement safety measures for in-person learning, address learning loss from remote instruction, hire additional staff, and upgrade ventilation systems. Rural school districts in East Tennessee, which often lack the local tax base to fund these improvements independently, were particularly dependent on this federal support.
As governor, Blackburn would oversee Tennessee’s education system — including managing future federal education funding and directing state education resources. Her opposition to the largest education funding program in American history raises questions about her priorities for Tennessee’s schools and her willingness to leverage federal resources for the benefit of Tennessee students.
ARP-Funded Infrastructure and Workforce Programs Still Operating
The ARP’s economic impact extended well beyond the immediate relief payments. The law funded state and local fiscal recovery, supporting government operations and public sector employment at a time when budget shortfalls threatened to trigger a cascade of layoffs and service cuts. It invested in workforce development programs to help workers displaced by the pandemic transition to new careers, and it provided capital to small businesses through enhanced SBA lending programs.
Tennessee’s economic recovery from the pandemic has been among the stronger in the nation, driven in part by the federal investments that Blackburn opposed. The state’s unemployment rate returned to pre-pandemic levels faster than many neighboring states, supported by the combination of stimulus payments, small business assistance, and state and local government stabilization funds that the ARP provided.
Related: See also the infrastructure funds Blackburn voted against and her record on healthcare access.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Did Blackburn vote against COVID relief for Tennessee?
Yes. Blackburn voted No on the American Rescue Plan Act in 2021, which provided $1.9 trillion in pandemic relief including direct payments, vaccine funding, school reopening funds, and state and local fiscal recovery.
How much ARP funding did East Tennessee receive?
Despite Blackburn’s opposition, Tennessee cities and counties received hundreds of millions in ARP State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds. Johnson City, Kingsport, and Sullivan County used these funds for infrastructure, public safety, and economic recovery.
What did the American Rescue Plan include?
The ARP included $1,400 direct payments to individuals, expanded child tax credits, $350 billion for state and local governments, $170 billion for schools, $50 billion for small business relief, and $16 billion for vaccine distribution.
Sources
- Senate Roll Call Vote 110: American Rescue Plan Act
- Congressional Research Service: American Rescue Plan Summary
- U.S. Treasury: State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds
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