New polls of voters in Alaska, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Maine, Montana and North Carolina show strong bipartisan support for $1 trillion in aid to states, cities, towns and school districts in the next coronavirus relief package from Congress.
In each state, no fewer than seven in 10 voters want Congress to provide federal aid to prevent cuts to public services such as health care, education and emergency response as cash-strapped states and localities face deep budget shortfalls due to the pandemic.
The polling also shows strong disapproval for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's statement that Congress should allow states to go bankrupt rather than provide federal aid.
In addition to the new polling released this week, AFSCME recently released surveys voters in Arizona and Kentucky, where respondents also overwhelmingly backed $1 trillion in aid, with 75% and 77% support respectively.
“Speaker (Nancy) Pelosi and the U.S. House passed this aid, as well as unemployment insurance, weeks ago as part of the Heroes Act. Meanwhile, Senator McConnell decided to ‘hit pause’ and go on vacation. Now, as a surge of the virus continues across the country, senators can no longer ignore the calls of voters, local elected officials and economists who have repeatedly called for this relief,” AFSCME President Lee Saunders said.
According to a memo from Public Policy Polling, which did the surveys for AFSCME, here are details of the support for federal aid in each of the seven states:
- 71% of Alaskans surveyed, including 74% of independents and 54% of Republicans.
- 74% of Coloradans, including 74% of independents and 55% of Republicans.
- 78% of Georgians, including 80% of independents and 66% of Republicans.
- 73% of Iowans, including 69% of independents and 64% of Republicans.
- 77% of Mainers, including 79% of independents and 58% of Republicans.
- 70% of Montanans, including 68% of independents and 56% of Republicans.
- 73% of North Carolinians, including 74% of independents and 62% of Republicans.
On Monday, the U.S. Senate unveiled a relief package that “focuses on protecting corporations while abandoning working people, and is seemingly content to let state and local governments go bankrupt,” as Saunders put it. The Senate bill does not contain state and local aid.
Back in May, the House passed the Heroes Act, which contains more than $1 trillion in federal aid for states, cities, towns and schools. However, the Senate has refused to take up this legislation.