Duckworth, Durbin Urge Senate Leadership to Provide Funding to Local Governments Serving Small Communities in Next COVID-19 Relief Package

Apr 14, 2020 9:07 AM

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WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) are calling on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL) and Ranking Member Patrick Leahy (D-VT) to include additional federal assistance to local governments in the forthcoming supplemental COVID-19 relief package. In their letter, Duckworth and Durbin called for the creation of a special FEMA Community Disaster Loan in response to the COVID-19 crisis that will help municipalities, particularly smaller communities, to overcome tax revenue loss. This will help local officials in Illinois and other states that are under a disaster declaration retain public employees and prevent layoffs.

In part, the Senators wrote, “Local jurisdictions require strong Federal support to finance unanticipated expenses due in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We urge you to consider provisions to assist localities amid unprecedented challenges in carrying out essential services, including a version of the Community Disaster Loan Program specifically tailored to the COVID-19 crisis.”

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They continued, “Local governments serving small communities are experiencing massive tax revenue loss due to social distancing and shelter-in-place orders. […] Without this critical relief, local officials will soon be faced with the difficult decision of whether to lay off local and state employees, including firefighters, police officers and sanitation workers, at a time where they are most needed.”

Full text of the letter is included below and here.

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