“This crisis is far from over and the American people deserve better”

Washington, DC—Below is a statement by U.S. Conference of Mayors President and Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer on President Trump’s decision to halt negotiations on a COVID relief bill:

“On the very day that the Fed Chairman called for aggressive action on the economy, the nation’s mayors are deeply disappointed with President Trump’s decision to walk away from negotiations on a COVID relief bill until after the election. Now is not the time for ultimatums, but a time to re-double our efforts to address and alleviate the pain of the American people.

“Today’s failure to deliver badly needed fiscal assistance to cities of all shapes and sizes is going to amount to increased job losses, decreased public safety and a greatly impaired economic recovery. Cities across the country have been struggling with budget shortfalls for months as a direct result of the pandemic, and hundreds of bipartisan mayors have been echoing the call to congressional and administration leaders for an economic lifeline in the form of immediate flexible fiscal relief.

“The victims of today’s failure will be the American people – residents in cities across the country – led by Republicans, Independents and Democrats – who will see critical services further reduced or eliminated entirely. It will be impossible to make up for the time that will be lost – and the suffering that will be felt by Americans across the country, so we urge leaders on both sides of the aisle to get back to the hard work required to finalize a package that will provide much-needed relief. This crisis is far from over and the American people deserve better.”