Whitmer To Trump, Congress: States Need Coronavirus Relief Bill

MICHIGAN — Democratic officials in Michigan sent a letter to national leaders of both parties Thursday, urging them to come together to take swift action and pass a COVID-19 relief bill that would provide support in combating the illness.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Senate Democratic Leader Jim Ananich and House Democratic Leader Christine Greig sent a letter to President Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer and Kevin McCarthy, asking they pass the bill to help mitigate the coronavirus' economic fallout, provide support for our schools and protect frontline workers, restaurants and small businesses.

“The coronavirus is not only a public health emergency, it is also an economic crisis threatening the livelihoods of our residents and businesses, too," the Democratic leaders said in the letter. "Michigan businesses continue to grapple with the ongoing pandemic, with small businesses especially impacted.

“Any future relief package should also include robust aid to states and localities to help combat the virus, mitigate its economic fallout, and protect essential services. Federal support was critical to enabling Michigan to mount an aggressive pandemic response and stabilize our economy in the early months of the pandemic. Now, during the worst surge we have seen yet, Michigan and states across the country need more support to protect our families, frontline workers and small businesses.”

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The leaders also urged the federal government to provide support for Michigan’s unemployed workers. According to state data, nearly 3 million Michiganders have applied for unemployment benefits since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, with more than 600,000 still receiving benefits.

Those numbers could grow as the number of coronavirus infections rises, officials warned. Coronavirus cases have been on the rise in Michigan, which has reported nearly 278,000 confirmed cases of the respiratory illness and 8,190 deaths attributed to it.

“It is imperative that Congress take action now to extend the UI provisions of the CARES Act, such as Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, to provide relief to those who lost their job through no fault of their own and to bolster the larger economy," the leaders wrote.