Kaine On Morning Joe: Support State And Local Governments To Prevent Layoffs Of First Responders

Watch here: https://timkaine.box.com/s/xa5ad4i4xey3zzb9auc6bmv3hbiz8ll9

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine called for Congress to pass more COVID-19 relief funding for state and local governments to prevent layoffs of critical personnel, including firefighters, police officers, and other first responders.

“Most states are doing their budgets right now. Most localities are doing their budgets right now. And get this – they are having them contemplate layoffs and furloughs of fire, police, EMT, first responders. There’s never a good time to do that, but you definitely shouldn’t do it in the middle of a national health emergency. That apparently is the GOP-McConnell plan and that’s why we’re fighting hard to get money to state and local governments so they don’t have to lay off first responders,” Kaine said.

“The worst thing we could do right now is to let state and local governments lay off a lot of first responders and to hurt a lot of retirees… The next step should be more for individuals and for state and local governments,” Kaine continued.

As a former mayor and governor, Kaine has been outspoken on the need for more funding to help state and local governments respond to the coronavirus. Earlier this month, Kaine led members of the Virginia delegation in urging Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to provide Virginia maximum flexibility to use funding from the CARES Act to help address budget shortfalls and prevent harmful budget cuts to services vital to addressing the economic and health crises caused by COVID-19. He also joined colleagues in a letter to call for state, local, and tribal governments to receive dedicated, flexible funding in the next COVID-19 emergency funding package. And on Sunday, he joined a letter calling on Secretary Mnuchin to revise initial guidelines so that Virginia and other states can provide essential public services amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

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