Washington, DC – Today Senate Republicans released draft legislation related to the COVID-19 pandemic. In response, Louisville Mayor and President of the United States Conference of Mayors Greg Fischer issued the following statement:
“Cities must recover if America is to recover. That’s why it is unacceptable that the Senate leadership is willing to leave American cities behind once again. This legislation provides no meaningful relief for cities, which have been on the frontlines of this response and are now facing devastating budget shortfalls. Without direct relief to help fund police officers, firefighters, public health workers and other critical public employees, cities can’t do the work to fight this pandemic. The situation is growing more dire by the day, and there will be significant consequences if real resources are not provided soon.
“Every city in America must be provided direct fiscal assistance to respond to the public health impacts of COVID-19 and mitigate the serious budget gaps caused by this crisis. Jobs and critical city services are on the line. Cities are the backbone of the American economy and Congress cannot afford to ignore their needs if they want to see its eventual recovery.
“Despite the fact that the coronavirus is showing no sign of slowing down, this legislative proposal turns its back on the very group of elected officials that are being asked to manage the crisis. The budget calamity looming over local governments is real and it requires extraordinary measures. We urge Congress to act quickly and create a real national strategy, one that gets resources directly to cities so that mayors can continue to fight for the safety and well-being of their residents.”