Governor Andrew Cuomo is using his bully pulpit at the National Governors Association to push for $500 billion in aid for state governments, whose finances have been decimated by the coronavirus pandemic.
Cuomo, the organization’s vice chairman, signed onto a letter with Republican Maryland Governor Larry Hogan to seek further federal relief for states — both in the form of direct aid as well as Medicaid assistance, bolstering testing and personal protective equipment, unemployment insurance, infrastructure and National Guard support.
States have closed down non-essential businesses over the last month in an effort to halt the spread of the virus, a move that has ground their economies to a halt.
“As a result, our national and local economies are in dire straits and have resulted in the most dramatic contraction of the U.S. economy since World War II,” Cuomo and Hogan wrote in the letter. “Many states are already reporting precipitous declines in revenues that fund state services in health care, education, public safety, transportation, and other vital programs. States and local governments need robust support from the federal government as we navigate the response to this pandemic and to help foster the economic recovery that is ahead.”
The latest federal relief package does not include any direct support for states, though does seek to stabilize small businesses and bolster some federal efforts on testing.
A gradual reopening process is beginning around the country as hospitalizations and the death rate start to fall.
Cuomo has estimated New York has lost between $10 billion and $15 billion in revenue.