Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) talks to reporters after attending the weekly Senate Republicans policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol January 7, 2020 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
'Voters Will Know Who to Blame': Poll Shows At Least 7 in 10 Americans Support $1 Trillion State and Local Aid GOP Refuse to Provide
"Senators can no longer ignore the calls of voters, local elected officials, and economists who have repeatedly called for this relief."
Americans across the political spectrum overwhelmingly want the federal government to provide a trillion dollars for state and local aid in the next Covid-19 relief package, according to new polling, raising the stakes even higher for congressional lawmakers as they work on reconciling House and Senate bills.
The poll, which was conducted by Public Policy Polling (PPP), consists of seven separate surveys of voters in Alaska, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Maine, Montana, and North Carolina and was commissioned by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME).
"If senators don't do the right thing and services are cut when our communities need them most, in November voters will know whom to blame," AFSCME president Lee Saunders said in a statement.
States are in a perilous position as the economic crisis sparked by the pandemic threatens to destroy local budgets due to precipitous declines in tax revenue.
\u201cStates remain in dire straits due to #COVID19 & resulting economic crisis. Here are our recent pieces detailing the need for relief, the harmful budget cuts states are already beginning to make, & why the proposals from Senate Rs are severely inadequate. https://t.co/g9nVFF5cuu\u201d— Center on Budget (@Center on Budget) 1595883498
Economic Policy Institute president Thea Lee, in a statement, excoriated Senate Republicans for the insufficient state and local aid included in the HEALS Act unveiled Monday evening.
"The bill's failure to provide any aid to state and local governments is a glaring weakness," said Lee. "This will mean drastic cuts to essential services like health care, education, and public safety right when people need them the most. It will also cost 5.3 million jobs in both the public and private sectors by the end of 2021, as public sector cuts and layoffs cause major fallout in the private sector as well."
According to AFSCME, seven in 10 voters polled by PPP approve of an increase in local and state aid for the next package "to prevent cuts to public services such as health care, education and emergency response as cash-strapped states and localities face deep budget shortfalls due to the pandemic."
In his statement, Saunders noted the decision by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to stall on relief efforts despite the fact that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) sent the HEROES Act to the upper chamber in May.
"Speaker Pelosi and the U.S. House passed this aid, as well as unemployment insurance, weeks ago as part of the HEROES Act," said Saunders. "Meanwhile, Sen. McConnell decided to 'hit pause' and go on vacation."
"Now, as a surge of the virus continues across the country, senators can no longer ignore the calls of voters, local elected officials, and economists who have repeatedly called for this relief," Saunders continued. "The Senate must not leave Washington until this aid is delivered so that we can beat the pandemic and safely reopen the economy."
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. The final deadline for our crucial Summer Campaign fundraising drive is just days away, and we’re falling short of our must-hit goal. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Americans across the political spectrum overwhelmingly want the federal government to provide a trillion dollars for state and local aid in the next Covid-19 relief package, according to new polling, raising the stakes even higher for congressional lawmakers as they work on reconciling House and Senate bills.
The poll, which was conducted by Public Policy Polling (PPP), consists of seven separate surveys of voters in Alaska, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Maine, Montana, and North Carolina and was commissioned by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME).
"If senators don't do the right thing and services are cut when our communities need them most, in November voters will know whom to blame," AFSCME president Lee Saunders said in a statement.
States are in a perilous position as the economic crisis sparked by the pandemic threatens to destroy local budgets due to precipitous declines in tax revenue.
\u201cStates remain in dire straits due to #COVID19 & resulting economic crisis. Here are our recent pieces detailing the need for relief, the harmful budget cuts states are already beginning to make, & why the proposals from Senate Rs are severely inadequate. https://t.co/g9nVFF5cuu\u201d— Center on Budget (@Center on Budget) 1595883498
Economic Policy Institute president Thea Lee, in a statement, excoriated Senate Republicans for the insufficient state and local aid included in the HEALS Act unveiled Monday evening.
"The bill's failure to provide any aid to state and local governments is a glaring weakness," said Lee. "This will mean drastic cuts to essential services like health care, education, and public safety right when people need them the most. It will also cost 5.3 million jobs in both the public and private sectors by the end of 2021, as public sector cuts and layoffs cause major fallout in the private sector as well."
According to AFSCME, seven in 10 voters polled by PPP approve of an increase in local and state aid for the next package "to prevent cuts to public services such as health care, education and emergency response as cash-strapped states and localities face deep budget shortfalls due to the pandemic."
In his statement, Saunders noted the decision by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to stall on relief efforts despite the fact that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) sent the HEROES Act to the upper chamber in May.
"Speaker Pelosi and the U.S. House passed this aid, as well as unemployment insurance, weeks ago as part of the HEROES Act," said Saunders. "Meanwhile, Sen. McConnell decided to 'hit pause' and go on vacation."
"Now, as a surge of the virus continues across the country, senators can no longer ignore the calls of voters, local elected officials, and economists who have repeatedly called for this relief," Saunders continued. "The Senate must not leave Washington until this aid is delivered so that we can beat the pandemic and safely reopen the economy."
Americans across the political spectrum overwhelmingly want the federal government to provide a trillion dollars for state and local aid in the next Covid-19 relief package, according to new polling, raising the stakes even higher for congressional lawmakers as they work on reconciling House and Senate bills.
The poll, which was conducted by Public Policy Polling (PPP), consists of seven separate surveys of voters in Alaska, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Maine, Montana, and North Carolina and was commissioned by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME).
"If senators don't do the right thing and services are cut when our communities need them most, in November voters will know whom to blame," AFSCME president Lee Saunders said in a statement.
States are in a perilous position as the economic crisis sparked by the pandemic threatens to destroy local budgets due to precipitous declines in tax revenue.
\u201cStates remain in dire straits due to #COVID19 & resulting economic crisis. Here are our recent pieces detailing the need for relief, the harmful budget cuts states are already beginning to make, & why the proposals from Senate Rs are severely inadequate. https://t.co/g9nVFF5cuu\u201d— Center on Budget (@Center on Budget) 1595883498
Economic Policy Institute president Thea Lee, in a statement, excoriated Senate Republicans for the insufficient state and local aid included in the HEALS Act unveiled Monday evening.
"The bill's failure to provide any aid to state and local governments is a glaring weakness," said Lee. "This will mean drastic cuts to essential services like health care, education, and public safety right when people need them the most. It will also cost 5.3 million jobs in both the public and private sectors by the end of 2021, as public sector cuts and layoffs cause major fallout in the private sector as well."
According to AFSCME, seven in 10 voters polled by PPP approve of an increase in local and state aid for the next package "to prevent cuts to public services such as health care, education and emergency response as cash-strapped states and localities face deep budget shortfalls due to the pandemic."
In his statement, Saunders noted the decision by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to stall on relief efforts despite the fact that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) sent the HEROES Act to the upper chamber in May.
"Speaker Pelosi and the U.S. House passed this aid, as well as unemployment insurance, weeks ago as part of the HEROES Act," said Saunders. "Meanwhile, Sen. McConnell decided to 'hit pause' and go on vacation."
"Now, as a surge of the virus continues across the country, senators can no longer ignore the calls of voters, local elected officials, and economists who have repeatedly called for this relief," Saunders continued. "The Senate must not leave Washington until this aid is delivered so that we can beat the pandemic and safely reopen the economy."