January 29, 2021 The Honorable Nancy Pelosi The Honorable Charles E. Schumer Speaker Majority Leader United States House of Representatives United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Kevin McCarthy The Honorable Mitch McConnell Republican Leader Republican Leader United States House of Representatives United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20510 Dear Speaker Pelosi, Leader Schumer, Leader McCarthy and Leader McConnell: RE: Urgent Action Needed on President Biden’s American Rescue Plan On behalf of The United States Conference of Mayors, we urge you to take immediate action on comprehensive coronavirus relief legislation, including providing direct fiscal assistance to all cities, which is long overdue. President Biden’s American Rescue Plan contains such assistance as part of an aggressive strategy to contain the virus, increase access to life-saving vaccines, and create a foundation for sustainable and inclusive recovery. American cities and our essential workers have been serving at the frontlines of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic for nearly a year. We have been charged with executing herculean public health efforts and an unprecedented emergency response. Despite immense fiscal pressure, your local government partners oversaw those efforts, while trying to maintain essential services and increase our internal capacity to provide support for residents and businesses who have been crippled by a tanking economy. And yet, as the economic engines of our country, local governments will be relied upon to lead the long- term economic recovery our nation so desperately needs, even as, with few exceptions, cities have been largely left without direct federal assistance. The lack of adequate support has resulted in budget cuts, service reductions, and job losses. Sadly, nearly one million local government jobs have already been lost during the pandemic. Our essential workers deserve federal relief like any other sector. The $350 billion in direct relief to state and local governments included in President Biden’s American Rescue Plan would allow cities to preserve critical public sector jobs and help drive our economic recovery. Providing direct, flexible aid to cities is the most efficient and immediate way to help families and their communities who have been suffering for far too long. Furthermore, cities must be central to a deliberate strategy to accelerate vaccinations throughout the country. We support President Biden’s proposal to mount a national vaccination program and the provision of additional resources to cities to bolster our efforts to contain the spread of the virus. Mayors Letter on American Rescue Plan January 29, 2021 Page 2 Your quick action on President Biden’s plan is a crucial step to making meaningful progress in one of the most challenging moments in our country’s history. The United States Conference of Mayors is eager to work with Congress and the incoming Administration to meet this challenge. We encourage you to take up the President’s rescue plan as soon as possible in the 117th Congress. Thank you for your leadership during this time of national crisis, and please feel free to reach out to our CEO and Executive Director Tom Cochran at 202-744-9110 / [email protected] or Chief of Staff Ed Somers at 202-744-9223 / [email protected] to discuss this priority request. 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 of Rochester Hills, MI Mayor of Columbia, SC Mayor of Burnsville, MN Past President Past President Past President Tom Cochran CEO and Executive Director (Additional mayoral signatories are listed on the following pages.) Mayors Letter on American Rescue Plan January 29, 2021 Page 3 Dan Horrigan Jeff Williams Robert Donchez Mayor of Akron, OH Mayor of Arlington, TX Mayor of Bethlehem, PA Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft Esther E. Manheimer Michael P. Cahill Mayor of Alameda, CA Mayor of Asheville, NC Mayor of Beverly, MA Kathy M. Sheehan Nancy Backus Lester Friedman Mayor of Albany, NY Mayor of Auburn, WA Mayor of Beverly Hills, CA Alex Johnson II Hardie Davis, Jr. Richard C. David Mayor of Albany, OR Mayor of Augusta, GA Mayor of Binghamton, NY Tim Keller Steve Adler Randall Woodfin Mayor of Albuquerque, NM Mayor of Austin, TX Mayor of Birmingham, AL William Wagner Richard Clarke Michael J. Venezia Mayor of Alexander, NY Mayor of Baldwinsville, NY Mayor of Bloomfield, NJ Justin Wilson Brandon M Scott Domingo Vargas Mayor of Alexandria, VA Mayor of Baltimore, MD Mayor of Blue Island, IL Sasha Renee Perez Lancer Shull Scott Singer Mayor of Alhambra, CA Mayor of Batesburg-Leesville, Mayor of Boca Raton, FL SC Ray O'Connell Lauren McLean Mayor of Allentown, PA Sharon Weston Broome Mayor of Boise, ID Mayor of Baton Rouge, LA Michael Cinquanti Martin J. Walsh Mayor of Amsterdam, NY Becky Ames Mayor of Boston, MA Mayor of Beaumont, TX Harry Sidhu Sam Weaver Mayor of Anaheim, CA Greg Szymanski Mayor of Boulder, CO President of Beecher, IL Thomas Broderick, Jr. Todd Alcott Mayor of Anderson, IN Ali Saleh Mayor of Bowling Green, KY Mayor of Bell, CA Gavin Buckley Cynthia Andrus Mayor of Annapolis, MD Sally Russell Mayor of Bozeman, MT Mayor of Bend, OR Roger Chandler James Schoenig Mayor of Arcadia, CA Jesse Arreguin Mayor of Brewster, NY Mayor of Berkeley, CA Nancy Kaboolian Steven Vescio Mayor of Ardsley, NY Phyllis Magazzu Mayor of Briarcliff Manor, NY Mayor of Berlin, NJ Mayors Letter on American Rescue Plan January 29, 2021 Page 4 Joe Ganim Lydia Lavelle Mary Casillas Salas Mayor of Bridgeport, CT Mayor of Carrboro, NC Mayor of Chula Vista, CA Katrina R. Thompson Lula Davis-Holmes John Cranley Mayor of Broadview, IL Mayor of Carson, CA Mayor of Cincinnati, OH Mary C. Marvin Harold Weinbrecht, Jr. Cory Moss Mayor of Bronxville, NY Mayor of Cary, NC Mayor of City of Industry, CA Steven 'Steve' V. Ponto Brad Hart Frank G. Jackson Mayor of Brookfield, WI Mayor of Cedar Rapids, IA Mayor of Cleveland, OH John Arthur Ernst, Jr. Benjamin Weinstock Jason Turner Mayor of Brookhaven, GA Mayor of Cedarhurst, NY Mayor of Cloverdale, CA Trey Mendez Maria Rivera Patrick L. Wojahn Mayor of Brownsville, TX Mayor of Central Falls, RI Mayor of College Park, MD Byron W. Brown Deborah Frank Feinen Bianca Motley Broom Mayor of Buffalo, NY Mayor of Champaign, IL Mayor of College Park, GA Emily P. Berendt Janet McFetridge Andrew J. Ginther President of Bull Valley, IL Mayor of Champlain, NY Mayor of Columbus, OH Miro Weinberger Pam Hemminger Tim McGallian Mayor of Burlington, VT Mayor of Chapel Hill, NC Mayor of Concord, CA Elizabeth Gibbons John J. Tecklenburg William 'Bill' C. Dusch Mayor of Campbell, CA Mayor of Charleston, SC Mayor of Concord, NC Bob Palumbo Vi Alexander Lyles Brian Tobin Mayor of Canandaigua, NY Mayor of Charlotte, NC Mayor of Cortland, NY Thomas M. Bernabei Andy Berke Biff Traber Mayor of Canton, OH Mayor of Chattanooga, TN Mayor of Corvallis, OR James Brainard Wanda Stringfellow Joseph U. Meyer Mayor of Carmel, IN Mayor of Chester, SC Mayor of Covington, KY Frank Saverino Lori E. Lightfoot Raymond R. Soliman Mayor of Carol Stream, IL Mayor of Chicago, IL Mayor of Crest Hill, IL John M. Skillman Charles Tokar Jose R. Gonzalez President of Carpentersville, IL Mayor of Chicago Ridge, IL Mayor of Cudahy, CA Mayors Letter on American Rescue Plan January 29, 2021 Page 5 Alex Fisch Steve Schewel Lioneld Jordan Mayor of Culver City, CA Mayor of Durham, NC Mayor of Fayetteville, AR Jeffrey J. Mutter Marcia A. Leclerc Christina Muryn Mayor of Cumberland, RI Mayor of East Hartford, CT Mayor of Findlay, OH Eric Johnson Carlos Romero Stephen L. DiNatale Mayor of Dallas, TX Mayor of East Palo Alto, CA Mayor of Fitchburg, MA Joseph A. Marchese Bonnie Parente Paul S. Braun Mayor of Darien, IL Mayor of East Williston, NY Mayor of Flossmoor, IL Judith 'Judy' Paul Salvatore 'Sal' J. Panto, Jr. Mike Kozlowski Mayor of Davie, FL Mayor of Easton, PA Mayor of Folsom, CA Gloria Partida James B. Hovland Acquanetta Warren Mayor of Davis, CA Mayor of Edina, MN Mayor of Fontana, CA Jerry Smith Jessica Ancona Thomas 'Tom' C. Henry Mayor of DeKalb, IL Mayor of El Monte, CA Mayor of Fort Wayne, IN Heidi K. Herzberg Drew Boyles Betsy Price Mayor of Deltona, FL Mayor of El Segundo, CA Mayor of Fort Worth, TX Michael B. Hancock J. Christian Bollwage Donald J. Schmit, Jr. Mayor of Denver, CO Mayor of Elizabeth, NJ Mayor of Fox Lake, IL Frank Cownie Frank Whitfield Yvonne M. Spicer Mayor of Des Moines, IA Mayor of Elyria, OH Mayor of Framingham, MA Mike Duggan Kirsten Holzheimer Gail Layne Wilkerson Mayor of Detroit, MI Mayor of Euclid, OH Mayor of Frankfort, KY Teresa Kernc Lucy K. Vinis Robert T. Kennedy Mayor of Diamond, IL Mayor of Eugene, OR Mayor of Freeport, NY Juan Carlos Bermudez Carlo DeMaria, Jr. Lily Mei Mayor of Doral, FL Mayor of Everett, MA Mayor of Fremont, CA Roy D. Buol Elizabeth Carr-Hurst Jerry Dyer Mayor of Dubuque, IA Mayor of Fairburn, GA Mayor of Fresno, CA Emily Larson Paul Coogan Steven R. Jones Mayor of Duluth, MN Mayor of Fall River, MA Mayor of Garden Grove, CA Mayors Letter on American Rescue Plan January 29, 2021 Page 6 Jerome A. Prince Jeff Martin Richard Milne Mayor of Gary, IN Mayor of Hamilton Township, Mayor of Honeoye Falls, NY NJ Kevin Burns John Buckley Mayor of Geneva, IL Rodney S. Craig Mayor of Hornell, NY Mayor of Hanover Park, IL Mike Palazzolo Nathan Nagle Mayor of Germantown, TN Luke Bronin Mayor of Horseheads, NY Mayor of Hartford, CT Jerry Weiers Sylvester Turner Mayor of Glendale, AZ James J.