Rep. Kirkpatrick Supports Legislation to Provide $250 Billion to Local Communities in Coronavirus Stabilization Funds
Statement
Today Rep. Kirkpatrick released the following statement sharing her overwhelming support for the Coronavirus Community Relief Act, new legislation led by Rep. Joe Neguse to provide $250 billion in stabilization funds for local communities, cities and towns across the United States that are struggling amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, or the CARES Act, signed into law on March 27th, provided $150 billion in stabilization funds for states and larger communities, but capped localities able to receive direct support at those with populations of over 500,000. This new legislation would ensure our state's mid-size municipalities like Pima and Cochise County are not overlooked for direct funds that are expected to come with the next stimulus package.
"I speak with leaders and constituents from all over our district; from Pima County with Tucson to Cochise County with our smaller, quaint and more rural towns, they all have been impacted by this pandemic," said Rep. Kirkpatrick. "While Congress has worked in a bipartisan way to begin addressing the health and economic crisis on a national level, more needs to be done to ensure our local and state governments have the resources they need to combat this. As an Appropriator, I'm doing everything I can to advocate for Southern Arizona -- this legislation will help lift and stabilize our municipalities, so they can continue to operate the services we desperately need."
"Communities across the country are struggling with the impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak," said Congressman Joe Neguse. "Like their larger neighbors, these smaller counties, cities, and towns have faced enormous costs while responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. These costs include deploying timely public service announcements to keep Americans informed, rapidly activating emergency operations, readying employees for telework to keep services running, and more. We must ensure each of our communities receive direct stabilization funds to address the outbreak and recover when this public health emergency has passed."
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