Schumer Warns of Massive Public Sector Layoffs Without Aid to States

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Tuesday warned that state and local governments will see “massive” layoffs due to the pandemic if Congress does not provide them with federal aid.

“Theres going to be massive layoffs at the state and local level unless we get money to them quickly,” Schumer told MSNBC in an interview on Tuesday.

Unemployment has surged in the country, with over 26 million jobs lost in the past five weeks alone, driven by the lockdowns imposed to mitigate the outbreak of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, the novel coronavirus that emerged from Wuhan, China in 2019.

The proposal for aid to state and local governments in the next COVID-19 relief package has been the subject of partisan tensions. Broadly, Democrats have been pushing for more such funding, while Republicans, in general, have been tepid on the idea.

In a recent interview with radio host Hugh Hewitt, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said that he would support the ability of states facing spiraling deficits amid the pandemic to declare bankruptcy, which current law prohibits.

“I think this whole business of additional assistance for state and local governments needs to be thoroughly evaluated,” McConnell said. “Theres not going to be any desire on the Republican side to bail out state pensions by borrowing money from future generations.”

As Congress considers the next, fifth emergency relief package to prop up the economy amid the outbreak, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Monday told MSNBC that more funding to state, local, and tribal governments must be part of it.

The most recent, fourth relief bill, worth $484 billion, included $310 billion for smalRead More – Source