Week Ending May 8, 2020

House makes progress on next COVID-19 response bill

State and Local Aid Needed Now

House Democrats are working on the next COVID-19 relief package and a vote could take place in the House as early as next week. Whether Congress will approve urgently needed assistance to state and local governments is a key issue.  

• Fund Front-Line Workers - Among the top needs to be addressed, according to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and many others, is substantial aid to state and local governments to prevent layoffs of the front-line heroes. “This is something of the highest priority, it honors our heroes,” according to Pelosi. AFSCME President Lee Saunders said, “Front-line health care workers, corrections officers, home and child care providers, sanitation workers and other public service workers put their lives on the line every day to save ours. America refuses to thank them with pink slips.”

What You Need to Know: Once a bill passes the House, it will have to clear the Republican-controlled Senate, where Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is calling for a “pause” in emergency aid. But, AFSCME continues to push for urgently needed state and local aid because many jurisdictions are facing rising costs from the health pandemic and plummeting revenues as a result of the failing economy. Mayors, governors, senators and others from both sides of the aisle are recognizing that robust assistance to our state and local governments is instrumental to beating this pandemic and reopening our economy. President Saunders made it clear when he said, “The House and the Senate must move quickly to include robust general grant assistance to states and municipalities, so they can maintain services now and into the immediate future, when they are needed most.”