May 12, 2020 U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 U.S. Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Members of Congress: We the undersigned have been working tirelessly to uphold our oaths of office and protect our constituents from the health and economic impacts of the novel coronavirus. COVID-19 has caused a global crisis on a scale we have not seen in generations; we fear that the economic disruption caused by this pandemic will have disastrous effects across the entire country in the coming weeks, months, and years. Working people are on the frontlines of this pandemic and are doing their jobs during this difficult time. Healthcare providers and workers are continuing to care for the sick. Janitors are still keeping buildings clean while airport workers are risking their health to help Americans travel safely. Public employees are still leaving their homes to ensure Americans continue to receive the services they rely upon. Many working families in our communities were struggling to make ends meet even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. With income inequality on the rise and the cost of living continuing to increase, many Americans were forced to work multiple jobs just to cover their basic needs. Our nation’s largest and wealthiest corporations, who are responsible for the inequality and economic vulnerability of millions, must now take responsibility for the health of our nation, for the communities on whose work they depend, and for the long-term financial health and security of all workers in our country. Without significant economic assistance from the federal government, however, many currently middle class working families are at risk of falling into poverty through no fault of their own. As a result, we are demanding immediate action by the federal government to ensure the health, safety, and financial security of working people across our country regardless of how they look, where they’re from, or what they do for a living. State and local governments are in desperate need of additional funding. As America’s economy grinds to a halt, state and local governments are on the front lines using their finite resources to fight COVID-19 while helping their residents stay safe, healthy, and financially stable. The specifics of our requests are detailed below: Support for State and Local Governments ● Direct Support to State and Local Governments - With most of the nation’s population under lockdown, ​ ​ state and local governments may see their steepest revenue declines ever. This will have far-reaching implications for our communities and for public servants on the front lines delivering essential services like unemployment and food assistance to families that suddenly find themselves out of work with limited resources. We urge additional funding for states and localities of at least $500 billion which expressly calls for a sharing of funds with all local governments, requires assurances that funds shall be used for maintenance of existing personnel, and include safeguards against harmful privatization and outsourcing schemes. Additionally, restrictions limiting the use of the $150 billion in the CARES Act to coronavirus-related expenditures should be removed and there should be additional funding for the CARES Act education stabilization fund. Investment in training and new technology is urgently needed to update our public services infrastructure and equip our public servants to deliver essential services in this crisis and beyond. Lastly, to ensure state and local governments have the financial confidence and support they need in this time of crisis, we urge the Federal Reserve to continue to purchase state/local government debt. ● Increase Medicaid Resources - Congress should provide, at minimum, a 6 percentage point increase in ​ FMAP on top of the 6.2 percentage point increase previously provided and should add language ensuring that states can receive the increased FMAP until unemployment rates return to a normal level. Also Congress should consider additional funding on top of the across-the-board FMAP increase, for Medicaid home and community based services. This must be conditioned on supporting the workforce including worker protections, pay and paid sick/leave as well as maintaining consumers access to services. Lastly, Congress should create a 100 percent FMAP match for the expansion population. ● Provide Local & State Employers with the Same Support Provided to Private Industry - The federal ​ ​ government should reimburse public employers for paid sick/paid leave provided to public workers. In addition the federal government should provide public employers with funding to support hazard or premium pay for essential public workers. ● Support our Child Care System - While the CARES Act provided additional child care funding that states ​ can use for the childcare needs of essential workers, more must be done. Child care providers are risking their own health to provide care for the children of essential workers even as they struggle to keep their doors open. At the same time, essential workers still on the job during this crisis cannot locate safe and affordable childcare. A much larger and urgent infusion of funds is needed to preserve our child care system through this crisis and beyond. ● Protecting Democracy During the Pandemic - Provide at least $4 billion in funding and resources to ​ states and localities to support accessible voting methods during the COVID-19 crisis including vote by mail, safer in person voting, online registration. In addition, any matching requirements for federal support should be waived for states for past and future funding. ● Provide Further Investment in UI - Given the unprecedented increase in UI claims at the state level, ​ states need additional funding to ensure that they are able to invest in the technology and staff needed to process and pay out claims. Congress should also provide funding to states to expand UI benefits to new populations such as gig and non traditional workers like adjuncts and school workers. ● Increase SNAP and WIC - Boost funding for these critical programs that help vulnerable people meet ​ their nutritional needs and address barriers to accessing these programs. ● Keep People on Payroll - The federal government should invest in providing direct support to ​ employers, including state and local governments, to maintain pre-crisis employment levels allowing workers to maintain their health insurance, contribute to Social Security, and limit economic disruption. Thank you for your leadership during this time of crisis. Sincerely, David L. Young, Colorado State Treasurer Colleen C. Davis, Delaware State Treasurer Michael Frerichs, Illinois State Treasurer ​ Michael Fitzgerald, Iowa State Treasurer Henry E. M. Beck, Maine State Treasurer Nancy Kopp, Maryland State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg, Massachusetts Treasurer & Receiver General Zach Conine, Nevada State Treasurer Ellen Rosenblum, Oregon Attorney General Tobias Read, Oregon State Treasurer Joseph Torsella, Pennsylvania State Treasurer Seth Magaziner, Rhode Island General Treasurer Lauren Kuby, Vice Mayor, City Council, Tempe, AZ Channel Powe, Governing Board President, Balsz School District, Phoenix, AZ Laurie "Harrie" Farrow, Justice of the Peace, Carroll County, AR Lindsey P. Horvath, Mayor, West Hollywood, CA Denise Davis, Mayor Pro Tem, Redlands, CA Ben Bartlett, Councilmember, City Council, Berkeley, CA James Chang, Commissioner, City Council, Berkeley, CA Igor Tregub, Commissioner, Rent Stabilization Board, Berkeley, CA Micah Ali, Board Member, Compton Unified School District, Compton, CA Satra Zurita, Governing School Board Member, Compton, CA Meghan Sahli-Wells, Councilmember, City Council, Culver City, CA Gino Kwok, Esq., School Board Member, Hacienda Heights, CA Anthony Duarte, President, School Board, Hacienda La Puente Unified School District, Industry, CA Colin Parent, Councilmember, City Council, La Mesa, CA Paul Krekorian, Councilmember, City Council, Los Angeles, CA Paul Koretz, Councilmember, City Council, Los Angeles, CA Jackie Goldberg, Vice President, Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles, CA Monica Garcia, School Board Member, Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles, CA ​ ​ Dr. George J. McKenna III, Boardmember, Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles, CA ​ ​ Steven Veres, VP, Board of Trustees, Los Angeles Community College District, Los Angeles, CA Nick Melvoin, School Board Member, Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles, CA Dr. Richard Vladovic, School Board Member, Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles, CA ​ ​ ​ Kelly Gonez, School Board Member, Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles, CA ​ ​ Scott M. Schmerelson, Board Member, Los Angeles Board of Education, Los Angeles, CA Mike Fong, Trustee, Los Angeles Community College District, Los Angeles, CA Scott Svonkin, Trustee, Los Angeles Community College District, Los Angeles, CA Gary Hardie, Jr., President, Board of Education, Lynwood Unified School District, Lynwood, CA Briseida Gonzalez, School Board Member, Lynwood, CA Adam Urrutia, Councilmember, City Council, Marina, CA Gregg Hart, Supervisor, County Board of Supervisors, Santa Barbara County, CA Joan Hartmann, Supervisor, County Board of Supervisors, Santa Barbara County, CA Maria Leon-Vazquez, Board Member, Santa Monica/Malibu Unified School District, Santa Monica, CA Laurie Lieberman, School Board Member, Santa Monica/Malibu Unified School District, Santa Monica, CA ​ Bernie Rhinerson, Trustee,