'Not A Red State Or Blue State Crisis': Hogan, Cuomo Renew Calls For Congress To Approve Coronavirus Financial Aid For States
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) -- Maryland Governor Larry Hogan and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo are renewing their calls for the federal government to quickly approve financial aid to states amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
In a statement Wednesday morning, Hogan, a Republican and the chair of the National Governors Association, and Cuomo, a Democrat and the group's vice-chair, said the aid should be a top priority for Congress. They called on lawmakers to approve $500 billion to help fill states' budget shortfalls caused by the pandemic as well as other funding to cover response efforts.
"As Congress reconvenes, delivering urgent state fiscal relief must be a top priority," the governors said. "Each day that Congress fails to act, states are being forced to make cuts that will devastate the essential services the American people rely on and destroy the economic recovery before it even gets off the ground."
They also urged lawmakers to avoid making the process political.
"With widespread bipartisan agreement on the need for this assistance, we cannot afford a partisan process that turns this urgent relief into another political football. This is not a red state or blue state crisis. This is a red white and blue pandemic. The coronavirus is apolitical. It does not attack Democrats or Republicans. It attacks Americans," they said.
Last week, President Donald Trump tweeted, "Well run States should not be bailing out poorly run States, using the coronavirus as the excuse!"
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio blasted Trump for the comments, calling the president a, "former New Yorker who seems to enjoy stabbing his hometown in the back," CBS New York reported. Cuomo similarly took issue with the president's comments, CBS News reported.
For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.