John,

Frontline public service workers are critical to fighting this pandemic and eventually re-opening our economy. States need a boost from the federal government to keep these essential workers on the payroll. Instead of legislating a solution, Mitch McConnell suggested states should declare bankruptcy!

Did you see Deborah's email about the need to protect our frontline workers? Send a letter to your members of Congress today and demand they fund our public service workers on the frontlines so that we can fight the pandemic and keep our communities safe!

In every state of our country, health care workers, corrections officers, custodians and other public service workers—are putting their lives at risk every day to fight this pandemic. If Congress fails to pass state and local aid, however, these public service workers could be thanked with reduced hours or a pink slip.

Thank you,

Nicolai Haddal
Field Coordinator, Coalition on Human Needs

--DEBORAH'S EMAIL--

John,

In every state of our country, frontline workers—health care workers, corrections officers, custodians and other public service workers—are putting their lives at risk every day to fight this pandemic. But if Congress doesn’t provide immediate state and local aid, these public service workers could be thanked with reduced hours or a pink slip. According to new estimates, up to 1 million public-sector workers could soon be out of a job or sent home without pay.¹

Instead of working to solve the problem, Senator Mitch McConnell has suggested states should declare bankruptcy to deal with strained budgets, and Donald Trump has been echoing that language. That's ridiculous! States are not failed Atlantic City casinos! States are what make us a country!

Join CHN and demand Congress fund our frontline workers now! Send a letter to your member of Congress. Tell them Mitch McConnell is wrong. Demand Congress include state aid in the next COVID-19 bailout—not more handouts to wealthy business owners.

Frontline public service workers are critical to fighting this pandemic and re-opening our economy. America can do neither if we lay them off. Together, we must demand Congress fund America's frontlines and pass state and local aid.

After McConnell suggested states should declare bankruptcy, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy made clear that's not an option. On Monday, he told CNBC what would happen without federal aid: “The alternative is we will gut the living daylights out of the very services that our folks now are desperately relying upon in what is the biggest health-care crisis in the history of our country.”²

Forcing states to make drastic cuts, firing essential public service workers in the process, is a counterproductive way to address local budget shortfalls. But, unfortunately, that has already begun.

On Wednesday the Washington Post reported, "Between 300,000 and 1 million public-sector workers could soon be out of a job or sent home without pay, according to a new estimate from the National League of Cities. The steep reductions in staffing levels could affect education, sanitation, safety and health, local leaders warn, potentially leaving critical public services in utter disarray."³

The Coalition on Human Needs and our allies across the country are teaming up to make sure Congress acts immediately. Send a letter to your representative and senators today to demand they fund the frontlines so that we can fight the pandemic and eventually re-open our economy!

Instead of solving problems, Trump wants to use federal tax dollars as a weapon to hurt Democratic governors who have stood up to him.⁴ But the very bipartisan National Governors’ Association has written to Congressional leaders seeking more aid for all states. We are in a global health pandemic that is pulling our economy down. This is the time for action, not partisan nonsense.

Together, we are demanding Congress focus on the people and working families who are affected by this crisis.

Public service workers are doing their part. The federal aid they need keeps the services going that we all need!

Join CHN and our coalition of allies across the country. Send a letter demanding legislation to protect our frontline workers during the pandemic.

Thank you,

Deborah Weinstein
Executive Director, Coalition on Human Needs