AID TO STATE, LOCAL AND TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS IS NON-NEGOTIABLE
Jump to today’s actions:
Background
State and local governments are the heavy lifters in fighting the pandemic. The costs of doing so, together with the greatest drops in tax revenue since the Great Depression, decimated their budgets, causing the layoffs of 1.3+ million employees. Since public-sector jobs are disproportionately held by people of color, federal refusals to help have exacerbated structural racism.
Without more funding, they’ll have to make additional deep cuts to public health, safety and education programs—making economic recovery harder.
Biden’s COVID relief plan offers a necessary lifeline, seeking:
$350 billion for direct, flexible state, local and territorial government aid to pay front-line workers, distribute vaccines, increase testing, reopen schools, maintain other services
$20 billion for tribal governments to help them reduce the stark, persistent inequities in transmission, hospitalization and death, while increasing access to clean water and electricity and expanding internet access for remote learning and telemedicine
$20 billion for hard-hit transit agencies to keep workers on their payrolls and avoid service cuts
Failure to sufficiently shore up local governments in 2009 subverted America’s economic recovery. Janet Yellin warns that without this aid, it will happen again. Our MoCs must fight to keep these funds in the final legislation.
1. Call the Senate.
Script Oregon Senators
SEN. MERKLEY: Portland office: 503-326-3386 | D.C. office: 202-224-3753
My name is [--] and I'm a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Our state and local governments are valiantly fighting the pandemic with budgets decimated by loss of tax revenues. They, tribal governments, and mass transit agencies need every penny President Biden’s requested. I’m expecting the Senator to fight to keep these funds in the final legislation. They are critical, both to get us through this crisis and support a broader economic recovery.
SEN. WYDEN: Portland office: 503-326-7525 | D.C. office: 202-224-5244
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Our state and local governments are valiantly fighting the pandemic with budgets decimated by loss of tax revenues. They, tribal governments, and mass transit agencies need every penny President Biden’s requested. Please thank the Senator for forcefully supporting the passage of the entire package as introduced and the folly of tinkering with the various provisions. I know he will fight to keep these funds in the final legislation, since they are critical, both to get us through this crisis and support a broader economic recovery.
Script for Republican Senators
D.C switchboard: 202-224-3121
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], [state], [zip code].
Our state and local governments are valiantly fighting the pandemic with budgets decimated by loss of tax revenues. They, tribal governments, and mass transit agencies need every penny President Biden’s requested. Since all of these provisions benefit your constituents, it would be folly for you to ignore their needs. I expect you to work to keep these provisions as written in the final legislation and to vote for its passage.
2. Call the House.
Script for Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)
Oregon office: 503-469-6010 | DC office: 202-225-0855
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Our state and local governments are valiantly fighting the pandemic with budgets decimated by loss of tax revenues. They, tribal governments, and mass transit agencies need every penny President Biden’s requested. I expect the Representative to fight to keep these funds in the final legislation. They are critical, both to get us through this crisis and support a broader economic recovery.
Script for Cliff Bentz (OR-02)
Medford office: 541-776-4646 | DC office: 202-225-6730
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Our state and local governments are valiantly fighting the pandemic with budgets decimated by loss of tax revenues. They, tribal governments, and mass transit agencies need every penny President Biden’s requested. Since all of these provisions benefit your constituents, it would be folly for you to ignore their needs. I expect you to work to keep these provisions as written in the final legislation and to vote for its passage.
Script for Earl Blumenauer (OR-03)
Oregon office: 503-231-2300 | DC office: 202-225-4811
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Our state and local governments are valiantly fighting the pandemic with budgets decimated by loss of tax revenues. They, tribal governments, and mass transit agencies need every penny President Biden’s requested. I expect the Representative to fight to keep these funds in the final legislation. They are critical, both to get us through this crisis and support a broader economic recovery.
Script for Peter DeFazio (OR-04)
Eugene office: 541-465-6732 | DC office: 202-225-6416
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Our state and local governments are valiantly fighting the pandemic with budgets decimated by loss of tax revenues. They, tribal governments, and mass transit agencies need every penny President Biden’s requested. I expect the Representative to fight to keep these funds in the final legislation. They are critical, both to get us through this crisis and support a broader economic recovery.
Script for Kurt Schrader (OR-05)
Salem office: 503-588-9100 | DC office: 202-225-5711
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Our state and local governments are valiantly fighting the pandemic with budgets decimated by loss of tax revenues. They, tribal governments, and mass transit agencies need every penny President Biden’s requested. I expect the Representative to fight to keep these funds in the final legislation. They are critical, both to get us through this crisis and support a broader economic recovery.
Action 3 - Expand Indivisible Oregon’s reach
Want to help us expand our reach? Send the link to our Daily Actions at www.indivisibleor.org to friends and family with GOP Senators and/or Congress people and ask them to make calls. They can use Rep. Bentz's scripts for their GOP representatives.
SOURCES:
Opinion: Biden’s economic rescue plan is bold enough to actually work
Yellen calls for 'acting now - and acting big' on pandemic relief
Funds for state and local governments remain a sticking point in COVID relief talks
State and City Cutbacks Stifle Broader US Economic Recovery
Why funding America's local governments could have a global impact
Inside President-elect Biden's coronavirus plan
