Hello,

I hope you and your family are safe and well. I’m writing to you today about a huge problem that’s on the horizon for people across New York City.

In two weeks, the expanded unemployment insurance provided by the CARES Act is set to expire — meaning New Yorkers who now rely on the program to put food on the table each week are going to be left in the lurch.

Coronavirus has put millions of New Yorkers out of work already, and as long as Donald Trump keeps doing nothing -- or worse -- to solve the pandemic itself, the economic crisis is only going to continue. So without the continued support that expanded unemployment provides, our public health and economic crisis will turn into an all-out catastrophe.

That’s why Congress must renew the expanded unemployment benefits. Then, we need them to go even further to stem the tide of this pandemic and provide substantial, immediate support to the small businesses that are the backbone of our country.

I will continue doing everything I can with the City Council to help New York City rebuild and recover. But if we’re going to get people back on their feet in the middle of the worst economic crisis in generations, we need our leaders in Washington to wake up and get to work.

I hope you’ll join me in calling on Congress to act.

All my best,

— Corey

Corey Johnson
NYC Council Speaker