State & Local Government Policy, Business and Technology

Cuomo, Union Leaders Call on Congress to Provide New York $59 Billion in Aid

Route Fifty: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and labor union leaders on Monday sent a letter to the state’s congressional delegation saying that the state and its local governments require a combined $59 billion in federal aid to deal with budget shortfalls brought on by the coronavirus.

The state “is in an impossible financial situation,” the letter says. “There is no combination of state efforts that will address this financial crisis without federal assistance,” it adds. “Even if state and local governments cut expenses, increase taxes, and reduced services, the revenue shortfall would still be in the billions of dollars.” The letter says the state government alone requires $30 billion in the current fiscal year and the next one to avoid “massive disruption.”

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