Unanimous Consent Request

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. HASSAN. Mr. President, I thank the distinguished leader, and I thank my colleague from Oregon, Senator Wyden, for joining in this motion and for making it.

I rise today to join them in calling for urgently needed funding for State and local governments to support our communities as they continue to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Across our country, State and local governments have been at the forefront of responding to this crisis and providing people and businesses with the support they need. State and local governments also employ millions of essential public employees--including teachers, first responders, and others--who have been working around the clock to help keep the American people safe.

But in the face of these unprecedented circumstances, States and local communities are facing new, mounting costs and a catastrophic loss of revenue. Without additional Federal resources, we will see even more job losses and further economic harm. We must do more to support the American people.

Just last week, Moody's Analytics released a sobering report on what State and local governments are up against. This report indicated that without significant Federal support for State and local governments, 4 million additional people could lose their jobs.

Throughout this crisis, we have worked together to try to save American jobs. Why, then, would we now sit and do nothing for the people who make our communities run?

States and cities employ essential workers who have been on the frontlines of this crisis. We need these workers now more than ever. We should support the important work they are doing, not leave their jobs at risk.

In addition to job cuts, without additional support, State and local governments may also need to cut programs and services that the American people depend on. Forcing States to slash education, infrastructure, and public health budgets, among others, would be deeply harmful at any time, but in the middle of a pandemic and the recession it has helped create, the ripple effect of those cuts would be even more staggering. Already, States and cities are cutting or delaying fixing sewer lines or roads and delaying putting out critical contracts to bid, with a ripple effect felt throughout the economy.

It doesn't have to be this way. Senate Democrats are focused on providing significant economic relief for State and local governments across the country. This would mitigate the job losses and further economic damage that we are seeing as a result of this crisis.

I urge my Republican colleagues to work with us to deliver this necessary relief and ensure that States have the flexibility to use this funding to backfill lost revenue and preserve jobs.

The recent spike in cases in many States reinforces that the public health threat remains extremely serious. Our economy will be feeling the effects of this pandemic for years to come.

State and local governments need our strong support to help save lives and strengthen our economy, and they need it right now. Blocking this relief will only make a dire economic situation even worse. That is the last thing the American people need.

I join Senator Wyden and my colleagues in moving this UC request.

Thank you.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source