‘He’s disappointed that it only got $5 billion for the state government…’
(Claire Russel, Liberty Headlines) New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo doubled down on his criticism of Congress’s $2 trillion relief package, calling the bill “irresponsible” and “reckless.”
Cuomo had complained earlier this week that Congress’s relief package did not allocate enough money to New York as the state fights the coronavirus pandemic.
He revealed on Thursday, however, that the problem wasn’t Congress’s coronavirus funding, so much as its failure to make up for New York’s lost economic revenue.
The $5 billion included in the bill for New York is “earmarked only for COVID-19 virus expenses,” Cuomo said, “which means it does absolutely nothing for us in terms of lost revenue for this state.”
The shuttered economy is “the bigger problem,” Cuomo claimed, according to CNBC.
Cuomo then claimed that Democrats gave in to partisan demands while negotiating the relief package.
“I’ve spoken to all the officials involved, I spoke to our House delegation I spoke to our senators … I’m disappointed, I find it irresponsible, I find it reckless,” he said.
“This was the time to put politics aside and partisanship aside,” he added. “This is the time for governmental leaders to stop making excuses and just do your job … you know the places in this nation that have the most intense problems, address the places that need the help.”
Cuomo’s criticism is significant because it was his New York ally, Sen. Chuck Schumer, who led the Democratic side of negotiations. Schumer pushed back against Cuomo on Thursday and said the Senate’s relief package is just the first step Congress is taking to address immediate problems.
“He’s disappointed that it only got $5 billion for the state government, but there are small businesses in New York who need money, there are unemployed people who need money, there are hospitals who need money, there are nurses who need money,” Schumer said.