Letter to Steven Mnuchin, Secretary of the Treasury - Soto Leads Effort to get Overtime and Hazard Pay for Essential Workers

Letter

Dear Secretary Mnuchin and Administrator Carranza,

I appreciate your efforts to quickly implement the provisions of the CARES Act during the
COVID-19 pandemic. However, the ongoing nature of this crisis requires additional assistance,
particularly as state and local governments face increasing costs and decreasing tax revenues due
to the emerging recession. One area of critical importance is the continued operation of our local
essential services.

Countless public sector employees are putting themselves at risk to perform essential services
during the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes our first responders (fire, police, EMS), 9-11
operators, postal workers, teachers and school administrators, transportation and utilities
services, and countless others. These people are required to continue their service on behalf of
the public and are directly exposed to the danger of the crisis.

Thus, without surprise, postal workers and transportation service employees have some of the
highest numbers of those who have contracted COVID-19. This results in obligated selfquarantine, removal from the workforce, widespread staff shortages, and an increasing pressure
for essential service employees to work extended hours.

We must protect these public employees' ability to work. They have been deemed essential for a
reason. This is why I urge your full and fair consideration to allow local governments to use
resources from the state stabilization fund to cover the overtime and hazard pay of local essential
service public sector employees.

Sincerely,

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