Political Quotes

“I rise today to join my colleagues to stress the urgency for Congress to provide robust, flexible assistance to State and local governments on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Because this administration has failed to devise and deploy a national response to a national emergency, the burden of containing and defeating the virus has largely fallen on our States, our counties, and our municipalities. They are expending enormous resources to expand testing, shore up hospitals, process unemployment claims, and get our residents the help they desperately need. At the same time, revenues have fallen off a cliff due to the economic fallout. Monies collected from sales, property taxes, building permits, court fees, parking meters, transit fares--you name it--are all down. I served at every level of government in New Jersey--the school board, mayor, State legislature. I know exactly what they are going through. It isn't about any irresponsibility on their part. It is the consequences of a national pandemic. We didn't ask for 14,000 of our citizens in New Jersey to die. We didn't ask for nearly 180,000 New Jerseyans to ultimately be infected. But that is our reality. And that is not only our reality. There are other States similarly situated. Unlike the Federal Government, virtually all State and local governments are constitutionally obligated--constitutionally obligated--to pass a balanced budget. Forty-five States have a June 30 deadline. That is tomorrow.…”