The United States Conference of Mayors and its members continue the push for direct emergency fiscal assistance to cities due to COVID-19. This resource page contains helpful links that mayors should use when lobbying their Senators.

• U.S. Mayors Renew Urgent Request for Direct, Flexible Assistance to American Cities (July 21)
• Louisville Mayor and U.S. Conference of Mayors President Greg Fischer sends letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (July 17)

The HEROES Act, the 4th supplemental passed by the House of Representatives contains language that provides for direct emergency fiscal assistance to cities. Below are the estimated dollars sent directly to each city.  Please click on a state to begin.

Many mayors have organized sign-on letters from their state’s cities directed to their state delegations in Washington. Below you’ll find the letters sent to date.

• Texas mayors, organized by Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams, sent this new letter on July 15.
• Forty Michigan mayors signed on to a letter of support for direct local assistance for all cities organized by Conference of Mayors Past President Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan K. Barnett on May 28.
• Iowa League of Cities, Iowa State Association of Counties and related agencies sent this letter to Senator Grassley on July 21.
• Eleven Illinois mayors of cities with a population between 75,000 and 500,000, organized by Rockford Mayor Thomas McNamara, sent a letter April 20 to the State’s delegation urging them to support, “flexible direct funding to municipalities to help limit the crippling economic damage to our cities as a result of this global pandemic.”
• Seven Iowa Mayors co-authored on May 6 this op-ed, “Congress: stand up for cities,” that appeared in the Quad-City Times.
• Pennsylvania mayors, organized by Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, sent this letter on May 13.
• The Ohio Mayors Alliance joined other local government groups and sent this letter on July 10.
• Twenty-seven North Carolina mayors sent this letter on July 27.
• The Metro Mayors Caucus in Colorado sent this letter July 20.
• Minnesota mayors from every Congressional District sent this letter July 17.
• The Mayors Council of Oklahoma sent this letter July 22.
• Mayors from the Florida League of Cities sent this letter on July 30.
• Mayors from the 10 largest cities in Alabama sent this letter on August 21.

Below are letters and video clips in support of direct emergency fiscal assistance to cities.

• NEW: U.S. Chamber of Commerce letter supporting state and local assistance (July 16)
• Business organizations’ letter of support (June 15)
• Federal Reserve Chairman Powell quote supporting state and local assistance (June 17)
• National Association of Home Builders support state and local assistance in letter to Congress (July 10)
• Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas President Robert S. Kaplan (July 13):
  “A key aspect of fiscal policy would likely be appropriate to aid to state and local governments and municipalities who, without additional support, would need to cut back and do layoffs at a time when we’re trying to grow the economy and reduce the unemployment rate.”
  View the entire address here.
• Fraternal Order of Police letter of support (April 28)
• International Association of Fire Fighters’ letter of support (June 5)

We continue in our efforts to push the Senate to act on emergency fiscal assistance. On June 29, the “Big 7” state and local organizations – including the United States Conference of Mayors – issued a press release and sent a letter signed by over 160 organizations to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (KY) and Minority Leader Charles Schumer (NY) stating that, “Leaders in Washington have expressed support for flexible fiscal aid to states and localities of all sizes… yet months have gone by and our communities continue to suffer. Americans have a history of standing together in times of crisis and must do so now.”