Harris pushes for support for cities in coronavirus relief package

Vice President Harris on Monday pushed for Congress to provide aid to cities impacted by the coronavirus pandemic by passing the administration’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package.

“This plan includes critical support for those communities that have been hardest hit, keeping small businesses open and first responders on the job,” she said during her virtual keynote address at CityLab.

The package directs $350 billion in funds to state and local governments, a provision Republicans have criticized. The Senate is expected to vote on the package this week after the House passed it early Saturday morning.

“With so many people living so close together, cities have been particularly hard hit. City leaders around the world have responded with innovation,” Harris said, mentioning outdoor clinics, redesigned public spaces, and Wi-Fi hot spots.

“[The] president and I are pushing the United States Congress to finish passing our American Rescue Plan so cities have the resources they need to innovate and replicate the best ideas,” she added. 

CityLab is organized by Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Aspen Institute and also included speeches from Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg. 

The vice president said in her keynote address that she has spoken with U.S. mayors for months about the administration’s plan for coronavirus relief.

“Without exception, they have said our cities need this plan to survive. So, I’m going to be clear, survival is not the end game. We want our cities and our companies to thrive, not just survive,” she said. 

The Senate is expected to make changes to the bill that House passed, including removing the provision that raises the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. Senators will undergo a marathon voting session this week that will allow any senator to force an amendment vote. 

Harris also said that cities will benefit from infrastructure improvements that will lead to good union jobs and support for small businesses such as access to capital.

“I was a city leader in San Francisco, and I know what’s needed in our cities. I know what’s possible also. I know what you make possible,” she said.