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The Honorable Donald J. Trump President of the United States the White House

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The Honorable Donald J. Trump President of the United States the White House September 9, 2020 (Updated) The Honorable Donald J. Trump President of the United States The White House Dear President Trump: The United States Conference of Mayors – and the more than 1,400 cities it represents – is grateful for the actions the Administration and Congress have taKen over the last several months to respond to COVID-19. We are also pleased that you recognize more must be done to address the ongoing public health pandemic and spur an economic reCovery. This public health crisis continues to have devastating effects on communities across the country. As discussions advance on the next pandemic response paCKage, and as cases continue to surge across the nation, we urge you to maKe support for American cities a top priority. Today we are writing to request $250 billion in direct, flexible emergency assistance to cities of all sizes in the COVID response and reCovery bill currently under negotiation, and to convey the great urgency of need in American cities. From the start, cities have been on the front lines of the fight against this disease, coordinating local responses and devoting significant resources to help Keep people safe. At the same time, as economies shut down, cities have experienced a precipitous decline in tax revenue – the full impact of which economists expect to grow. Together, these dynamics have deCimated city budgets in cities large and small. These budget gaps are a direct result of this pandemic, and they are forCing painful decisions, including layoffs, furloughs, and cuts to essential government services when our residents need them the most. The situation is threatening public safety and costing people jobs. Data from the U.S. Department of Labor shows that close to 1.5 million Americans who work in state and local government have entered unemployment sinCe the pandemic began. As you continue to looK for ways to support small businesses and the unemployed, we implore you not to leave cities behind. While $150 billion was set aside for state and local governments in the CARES Act, the 500,000- resident population threshold included in the law resulted in only 38 American cities qualifying for any direct assistance. Cities that did receive that direct federal aid were not allowed to use those resources to mitigate the shortfalls in their local budgets. The United States Conference of Mayors September 9, 2020 (Updated) Page 2 To date, most American cities have reCeived no direct assistance at all. That is why we have asKed that cities of all sizes be eligible for federal aid, and that it be flexible enough to support the individual budget needs of cities. It is also important to appreciate that these budget shortfalls are not a blue state or a red state challenge. The virus Knows no geographiC boundaries or party affiliation, and there are budget crises in every state and in cities big and small. All of us want to rebound from this pandemic as quiCKly as possible. But we cannot have a strong recovery without strong cities. We know from past crises that a failure to support cities will drag on the nation’s economic growth. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell testified to Congress earlier this year that a failure to support Cities in the waKe of the 2008 finanCial crisis created a situation in which “local government layoffs and laCK of hiring did weigh on economic growth." This is a once-in-a-lifetime crisis that requires a strong local-federal partnership. We have been proud to support the recovery on the ground in American cities and asK that you support cities as we worK together to overcome the devastation caused by this ongoing pandemic. Sincerely, Greg Fischer Nan Whaley Francis X. Suarez Mayor of Louisville, KY Mayor of Dayton, OH Mayor of Miami, FL President Vice President Second ViCe President Bryan K. Barnett Steve Benjamin Elizabeth B. Kautz Mayor Rochester Hills, MI Mayor of Columbia, SC Mayor of Burnsville, MN Past President Past President Past President Tom Cochran CEO and Executive Director The United States Conference of Mayors September 9, 2020 (Updated) Page 3 Mayor Dan Horrigan Mayor Bernard 'JaCK' C. Young Mayor Ian Baltutis Akron, OH Baltimore, MD Burlington, NC Mayor Kathy M. Sheehan Mayor Sharon Weston Broome Mayor James Brainard Albany, NY Baton Rouge, LA Carmel, IN Mayor Tim Keller Mayor BecKy Ames Mayor Lydia Lavelle Albuquerque, NM Beaumont, TX Carrboro, NC Mayor Justin Wilson Mayor Denny Doyle Mayor Lydia Lavelle Alexandria, VA Beaverton, OR Carrboro, NC Mayor Ray O'Connell Mayor Robert Donchez Mayor Albert Robles Allentown, PA Bethlehem, PA Carson, CA Mayor Michael Cinquanti Mayor Lester Friedman Mayor Harold WeinbreCht Jr. Amsterdam, NY Beverly Hills, CA Cary, NC Mayor Harry Sidhu Mayor Richard C. David Mayor James A. Diossa Anaheim, CA Binghamton, NY Central Falls, RI Mayor Jeff Williams Mayor Randall Woodfin Mayor Deborah FranK Feinen Arlington, TX Birmingham, AL Champaign, IL Mayor Marc Williams Mayor Tari Renner Mayor Pam Hemminger Arvada, CO Bloomington, IL Chapel Hill, NC Mayor Esther E. Manheimer Mayor Scott Singer Mayor Vi Alexander Lyles Asheville, NC Boca Raton, FL Charlotte, NC Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms Mayor Lauren McLean Mayor Andy BerKe Atlanta, GA Boise, ID Chattanooga, TN Mayor Michael D. Quill Mayor Martin J. Walsh Mayor Russell Stewart Auburn, NY Boston, MA Cherry Hills Village, CO Mayor Nancy BaCKus Mayor Joe Ganim Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot Auburn, WA Bridgeport, CT Chicago, IL Mayor Hardie Davis Jr. Mayor Steven 'Steve' V. Ponto Mayor Mary Casillas Salas Augusta, GA BrooKfield, WI Chula Vista, CA Mayor Steve Adler Mayor Trey Mendez Mayor John Cranley Austin, TX Brownsville, TX CinCinnati, OH Mayor Kenn Weise Mayor Byron W. Brown Mayor Mark R. Shepherd Avondale, AZ Buffalo, NY Clearfield, UT The United States Conference of Mayors September 9, 2020 (Updated) Page 4 Mayor Gus Wolter Mayor Eric Johnson Mayor Drew Boyles Cloverdale, CA Dallas, TX El Segundo, CA Mayor William T. Keeler Mayor Lori Lewellen Mayor J. Christian Bollwage Cohoes, NY Dania Beach, FL Elizabeth, NJ Mayor Bianca Motley Broom Mayor Judith 'Judy' Paul Mayor Lucy K. Vinis College Park, GA Davie, FL Eugene, OR Mayor PatriCK L. Wojahn Mayor Chris Watts Mayor Stephen H. Hagerty College Park, MD Denton, TX Evanston, IL Mayor John Suthers Mayor Michael B. Hancock Mayor Cassie FranKlin Colorado Springs, CO Denver, CO Everett, WA Mayor Andrew J. Ginther Mayor FranKlin Cownie Mayor Harry T. PriCe Columbus, OH Des Moines, IA Fairfield, CA Mayor Benjamin Huseman Mayor Juan Carlos Bermudez Mayor Lioneld Jordan Commerce City, CO Doral, FL Fayetteville, AR Mayor William 'Bill' C. Dusch Mayor Emily Larson Mayor Mitch Colvin Concord, NC Duluth, MN Fayetteville, NC Mayor Barbara Blain-Bellamy Mayor Julie Ward BujalsKi Mayor Christina Muryn Conway, SC Dunedin, FL Findlay, OH Mayor Woody Washam Mayor Wilfred Rosas Mayor Acquanetta Warren Cornelius, NC DunKirk, NY Fontana, CA Mayor William M. Boland Jr. Mayor Steve Schewel Mayor Wade Troxell Corning, NY Durham, NC Fort Collins, CO Mayor Joe McComb Mayor Marcia A. LeclerC Mayor Betsy Price Corpus Christi, TX East Hartford, CT Fort Worth, TX Mayor Joe McComb Mayor Salvatore J. Panto, Jr. Mayor Yvonne M. SpiCer Corpus Christi, TX Easton, PA Framingham, MA Mayor Brian Tobin Mayor Ron Case Mayor Robert T. Kennedy Cortland, NY Eden Prairie, MN Freeport, NY Mayor Biff Traber Mayor James B. Hovland Mayor Lily Mei Corvallis, OR Edina, MN Fremont, CA Mayor Goran EriKsson Mayor Dee Margo Mayor Lee Brand Culver City, CA El Paso, TX Fresno, CA The United States Conference of Mayors September 9, 2020 (Updated) Page 5 Mayor John W. Byrne Mayor LuKe Bronin Mayor Vernon JaCKson Fuquay-Varina, NC Hartford, CT Johnstown, NY Mayor Paige Brown Mayor Debra March Mayor Beth Weldon Gallatin, TN Henderson, NV Juneau, AK Mayor Craig Brown Mayor David Watts Mayor M Darrell Hinnant Galveston, TX Herriman, UT Kannapolis, NC Mayor WalKer E. Reid III Mayor HanK Guess Mayor Quinton Lucas Gastonia, NC HiCKory, NC Kansas City, MO Mayor Steve Valentino Mayor Nancy RodKin Rotering Mayor John Martin Antaramian Geneva, NY Highland Park, IL Kenosha, WI Mayor Linda JaCKson Mayor Deb Tarrant Mayor Steven T. Noble Glendale Heights, IL Hillsboro Beach, FL Kingston, NY Mayor Jerry Weiers Mayor William 'Bill' D. McLeod Mayor Indya Kincannon Glendale, AZ Hoffman Estates, IL Knoxville, TN Mayor Laura Weinberg Mayor Richard G. Sears Mayor Todd Rogers Golden, CO Holly Springs, NC LaKewood, CA Mayor Georgia Lord Mayor John BucKley Mayor Adam A. Paul Goodyear, AZ Hornell, NY LaKewood, CO Mayor Ron Jensen Mayor Sylvester Turner Mayor Adam A. Paul Grand Prairie, TX Houston, TX LaKewood, CO Mayor Rosalynn Bliss Mayor Steve Williams Mayor Andy Schor Grand Rapids, MI Huntington, WV Lansing, MI Mayor Eric Genrich Mayor Eileen Weir Mayor Louis 'Woody' L. Brown Green Bay, WI Independence, MO Largo, FL Mayor Nancy Vaughan Mayor Joseph 'Joe' H. Hogsett Mayor Kenneth D. Miyagishima Greensboro, NC Indianapolis, IN Las Cruces, NM Mayor Billy Hewes Mayor RiCK Stopfer Mayor Hazelle Rogers Gulfport, MS Irving, TX Lauderdale LaKes, FL Mayor Jeff Martin Mayor Mary Lou Pauly Mayor Ken Thurston Hamilton Township, NJ Issaquah, WA Lauderhill, FL Mayor Rodney S. Craig Mayor Edward A. Sundquist Mayor David J. Berger Hanover Park, IL Jamestown, NY Lima, OH The United States Conference of Mayors September 9, 2020 (Updated) Page 6 Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird Mayor Thomas 'Tom' Barrett Mayor LaToya Cantrell Lincoln, NE Milwaukee, WI New Orleans, LA Mayor Mark BlasK Mayor Jacob Frey Mayor Noam Bramson Little Falls, NY Minneapolis, MN New Rochelle, NY Mayor John P. Marchand Mayor Wayne M. Messam Mayor Bill de Blasio Livermore, CA Miramar, FL New YorK, NY Mayor Michelle Roman Mayor Armando Ocana Mayor Alan L.
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