New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) complained to CNN's Alysin Camerota on Tuesday about President Trump's handling of the Wuhan coronavirus and said his poor performance will cost him reelection in November.
“So, I’ve asked President Trump repeatedly not just to help New York City and New York State, but to help all cities and states get back on our feet. We have lost now over $7 billion in revenue. That’s our projection of how much is already gone because of this crisis. That is the money we use to pay police, to pay firefighters, teachers, sanitation workers, health care workers. That money ain’t coming back. The only place it can come from is the federal government," de Blasio explained. "They gave $58 billion to the airline industry to bail them out. How about bailing out America’s cities, America’s states?"
De Blasio said he told Trump that while he understands the need to reopen the country again to kickstart the economy, New York City is going to need massive amounts of help from the federal government to do so.
"[Trump] doesn’t want to talk about what’s actually happening on the ground with the people he’s supposed to be serving. And I think history is going to judge him very harshly and put him in the same camp as Gerald Ford and even Herbert Hoover who ignored what the depression was doing to people and failed to bring the country back," de Blasio continued. "That’s where this president is now. And he should kiss his re-election goodbye if he thinks he’s going to be able to convince the American people to want four more years of a guy who can’t even get the basics right."
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The Trump administration has laid out a roadmap for states to follow should they be in the position to safely reopen to be allowed to go back to work. One of the key aspects of the plan is the state's ability to carry out testing for COVID-19.
Trump urged Congress on Tuesday for them to pass the additional relief for small business so they can then focus on passing a relief for state and local governments for lost revenue.
....to State/Local Governments for lost revenues from COVID 19, much needed Infrastructure Investments for Bridges, Tunnels, Broadband, Tax Incentives for Restaurants, Entertainment, Sports, and Payroll Tax Cuts to increase Economic Growth.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 21, 2020
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) agreed with Trump that states are to handle most aspects of testing, but will need the federal government's help to fix supply chain issues.
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