New Jersey governor warns of layoffs of teachers, health-care workers and first responders without federal aid
From THEHILL.COM
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) warned Sunday that his state will have to lay off front-line workers amid the coronavirus pandemic if the federal government does not approve additional funding for states.
“We announced a budget on Friday for the next four months and we had it cut or defer over $5 billion of expenditures, and this includes potentially laying off educators, firefighters, police, EMS, health-care workers. This is not abstract, this is real,” Murphy said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
Murphy also dismissed criticism from some Republicans who say a call for federal funding by governors is some form of a bailout for “blue states” that have mismanaged budgets.
“It's not a blue state issue, it’s an American issue. It’s not a legacy, ‘You guys didn't manage yourself in the past better,’ that has nothing to do with this,” he said. “This is about keeping those front-line workers in their jobs, doing the heroic work they’re doing at our hour of need in the biggest health-care crisis in the history of our country, the biggest economic crisis in the history of our country, the last thing we need to do is to lay any of those folks off and increase the unemployment rate and underserved our residents.”
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on the federal government doubting states' financial need: "It's about keeping those front line workers in their jobs, doing the heroic work they're doing, at our hour of need, in the biggest health care crisis in the history of our country" #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/Uj73wBW3Qn— State of the Union (@CNNSotu) May 24, 2020
Earlier on “State of the Union,” White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said the Trump administration has yet to decide on additional funding for states as part of coronavirus response efforts.
“I thought Kevin was reasonable, but on this one I have to say ..... (Read more)
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