I know the last few days have had everyone on edge. It’s times like this when we depend on our government most.

John,

I know the last few days have had everyone on edge. It’s times like this when we depend on our government most. Based on my previous experience as Deputy Secretary for Economic Development and Special Advisor to Governor Cuomo, I released a policy proposal to get cash in people's hands immediately. Having led disaster relief efforts, I can tell you how we respond now will determine people's economic outcomes for months.  

Here are the key points:

Get money into pockets

We need money in people’s pockets now before we repeat the financial crisis, or worse. The coronavirus outbreak has caused layoffs across the city because people can’t get to work or to the stores. This public crisis even crashed New York’s unemployment site. Large corporations reinvest Trump’s tax cuts in their own business and executives, shutting out the rest of the workforce — the ones who need it most. This extreme inequality is exacerbated in emergency situations.

  • Provide immediate cash payments of $2,000 plus $500 per dependent to alleviate the economic impact on the most vulnerable Americans.
  • Increase unemployment benefits immediately from 50 percent to 75 percent of past wages across the board to keep money flowing through the economy. In past recessions, benefits have been extended but not increased, which perpetuates a lag in spending for months.
  • Eliminate the bureaucratic barriers in government assistance programs. The last thing people should worry about in a crisis is making sure that they have the right form. Crucial programs like housing vouchers, SNAP, Medicaid, etc. should all waive complex paperwork requirements for the duration of the crisis.
  • Increase the federal matching rate for Medicaid to guarantee the health care system has enough resources to help people obtain the medical care they might otherwise avoid because they can’t afford it.

Give small businesses a safety net for market mishaps

Small businesses are the foundation of our community and account for almost 65 percent of new jobs created in the US. The current administration has directed the Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide ‘disaster assistance loans’ for small businesses impacted by COVID-19.1 But this will push small companies further into debt.

  • Develop business continuity grants under the SBA to extend to underserved communities, similar to those provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for unanticipated losses and major disruptions due to weather disasters, public health crises, transportation disruptions, etc. Grants would go a lot further than low-interest loans to prevent the failure of many businesses that can’t afford more debt.
  • Expand federal funds for cities to take advantage of the Community Development Block Grant program, funded out of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for small businesses that supply communities with vital necessities such as laundromats, childcare, homes services, drug stores, grocery stores, etc.

Support all caretakers and caregiving

About 15 percent of people aged 25–54 spend time caring for an older relative. Twenty percent of these caregivers also have children at home.2  Many may have siblings with disabilities who also rely on them for care.3 This ‘sandwich generation’ is struggling to care for children, siblings with disabilities and parents, while working full-time. Under normal circumstances, this is not sustainable. In an emergency, it’s untenable.

  • Pass a national Paid Family Leave policy that includes paid leave for these kinds of caregiving so that unexpected life events don’t mean the end of a paycheck.
  • Support family caregivers with Social Security workers credits for the time they spend taking care of seniors, and tax credits for stay-at-home caretakers who are caring for ailing or aging relatives.

Sustain the MTA and other large city infrastructure

Loss of travelers is detrimental to city infrastructure, like airports and public transit. The MTA, in particular, will suffer an already bad set of circumstances on a constrained budget.

  • Provide emergency bridge loans for underutilized systems like the MTA, airports and other large city infrastructure to cover short term financing issues until a larger comprehensive infrastructure bill can be passed 

 

This is a five alarm fire. My opponent, Rep. Nadler, put out a letter filled with platitudes and vagaries that don't meet our needs at this moment.

My plan is focused on the urgency of helping people and small businesses so that people have jobs to go back to.

All my best,
Lindsey

1 https://www.sba.gov/about-sba/sba-newsroom/press-releases-media-advisories/sba-provide-disaster-assistance-loans-small-businesses-impacted-coronavirus-covid-19
2 https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/29/business/economy/labor-family-care.html
3 https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2012/12/05/sibling-caregivers-struggle/16899/

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Lindsey Boylan for Congress
511 Avenue of the Americas
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United States

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