Counties to House and Senate Leadership: Pass President Biden’s Coronavirus Relief Package with Essential Aid for Local Governments

WASHINGTON – The National Association of Counties (NACo) today sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, calling on the leaders to immediately pass local government support featured in the Biden Administration’s American Rescue Plan, a proposal that includes $350 billion in critical aid to state, local and territorial governments.  

The letter to Congressional leaders highlights the county role as the primary administrator of public health on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19, noting that fiscally responsible aid for counties means investing in America’s frontline heroes.

“We thank the President for proposing a plan that recognizes the vital, frontline role of America’s counties in mitigating and ending the COVID-19 pandemic,” said NACo Executive Director Matthew Chase. “Throughout the pandemic, counties have dug into our reserves, leveraging essential federal investments, to help curtail the virus, keep our small businesses alive, and serve our most vulnerable residents, including our seniors, children, unemployed, sick, and 3.6 million county frontline workers. We respectfully urge Congress and the White House to work together in a bipartisan manner to ensure our county leaders – and our local communities – have the resources, decision-making powers and flexibility necessary to overcome this massive national emergency and to ensure our nation is better prepared for future pandemics and disasters.”

America’s 3,069 county governments support over 1,900 local public health departments, nearly 1,000 hospitals and critical access clinics, more than 800 long-term care facilities and 750 behavioral health centers.

Additionally, county governments are responsible for emergency operations centers and 911 services, court and jail management, public safety and emergency response, protective services for children, seniors and veterans, and the “last of the first responders” with coroners and medical examiners, among many other essential public services.

Read the full letter to Congressional leaders here.

Read NACo’s statement on then President-elect Biden’s announcement of the American Rescue Plan here.

Read NACo’s analysis of the American Rescue Plan here.

NACo’s coronavirus online hub includes county level examples of response efforts, interactive maps and analyses of federal actions. View this resource-rich webpage at www.naco.org/coronavirus.