Reps. Cisneros, Wagner, and Stevens Call for Direct Fiscal Relief to Small and Mid-Sized Localities
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Representatives Gilbert R. Cisneros, Jr. (D-CA-39), Ann Wagner (R-MO-02), and Haley Stevens (D-MI-11) led a bipartisan group of 26 Members of Congress calling on Congressional leadership to support small and mid-sized localities. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which passed with bipartisan support in March, allocated federal funds to provide fiscal relief for state and local governments that are on the front lines of the response to COVID-19. Localities with fewer than 500,000 residents are unable to apply for direct fiscal relief, shutting out small and mid-size cities that are struggling to provide critical services, pay their workforce, and acquire personal protection equipment and other much-needed supplies as their revenues decrease. The letter can be viewed here.
“There’s not a single community in the United States that hasn’t been affected by COVID-19. Now that Congress has passed its fourth coronavirus response bill, we need to make sure the next one includes relief for our local cities and towns that have under 500,000 people,” said Rep. Cisneros. “I’ve spoken directly with local leaders in the 39th District who are in desperate need of resources and funding. As a result of this pandemic, they’re seeing a dramatic drop in revenue while demand for city services is skyrocketing. I urge congressional leadership to help our small- and medium-sized cities and towns that have been on the frontlines of this crisis.”
“St. Louis’s towns and municipalities have been hit especially hard during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Rep. Wagner. “The CARES Act allocated significant funding for states and cities to help provide immediate relief during this crisis, but unfortunately many local municipalities don’t currently qualify for this direct funding, which is why I joined my colleagues in a bipartisan effort calling for broader access to these funds. Our region is home to many of these municipalities that have a critical need for emergency relief funding, and I will continue to work with our local and state partners to ensure these resources are available to those in need as we work through this national emergency.”
“Over the past several weeks, I have convened weekly calls with Mayors and Township Supervisors representing each of the 24 municipalities in Michigan’s 11th District, and they have made it clear that they need stabilization funds now to provide critical services to their residents,” said Rep. Stevens. “Municipal governments in Michigan are facing enormous costs as they respond to the coronavirus pandemic. According to the U.S. Conference of Mayors, more than 90% of cities are currently reporting a shortage of test kits and much-needed personal protection equipment for our emergency responders and medical workers. Our cities are on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19, and we have an obligation to provide sufficient funding to enable them to continue fighting this invisible enemy.”
In addition to Reps. Cisneros, Wagner, and Stevens, the letter was signed by Reps. Van Taylor (R-TX-03), Dean Phillips (D-MN-03), Lucy McBath (D-GA-06), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-13), Susan Wild (D-PA-07), Anthony Brindisi (D-NY-22), Tim Walberg (R-MI-07), Barbara Lee (D-CA-13), Joyce Beatty (D-OH-03), Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT-03), Jim Costa (D-CA-16), Joe Neguse (D-CO-02), Kathleen M. Rice (D-NY-04), Kendra Horn (D-OK-05), Cindy Axne (D-IA-03), Andy Levin (D-MI-09), Daniel T. Kildee (D-MI-05), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09), Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA-02), Daniel W. Lipinski (D-IL-03), Harley Rouda (D-CA-48), Brenda Lawrence (D-MI-14), and Debbie Dingell (D-MI-12).