WASHINGTON, March 20, 2020 — Earlier this week, the leadership of the United States Conference of Mayors sent an urgent request to lawmakers as they prepare the next phase of a federal response to the coronavirus outbreak. Now, 303 mayors from 48 states and the District of Columbia have signed onto the letter seeking $250 billion in localized resources to fight the coronavirus, maintain city services and protect families and local businesses from the economic fallout of this crisis.
Mayors from cities large and small, Republicans and Democrats, are urging lawmakers to prioritize a local approach to distributing resources. The $250 billion in aid is needed to ensure cities have the equipment and personnel to fight the virus, while also providing resources to help displaced workers and shuttered businesses, and maintain critical city services. A full list of programs to be funded can be found in the full text of the letter linked here.
In the letter to lawmakers, the 303 mayors write:
“Cities are the front lines, immediately addressing this crisis and taking actions to protect public health and ensure public safety while continuing to provide core services to our citizens. But as you know, we are at the beginning of this pandemic, and further action must be taken to address the public health and economic impacts of this disaster… Without significant federal assistance, we soon will be faced with having to make decisions that could include laying off employees, cutting budgets, and reducing or eliminating critically needed services.”
About the United States Conference of Mayors — The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are nearly 1,400 such cities in the country today, and each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. Like them on Facebook at facebook.com/usmayors, or follow them on Twitter at twitter.com/usmayors.