Cities need direct and flexible funding to respond to the COVID-19 crisis

Cities need Congress to provide direct financial support to help with lost revenues and increased costs resulting from the COVID-19 health emergency.

The CARES Act passed in March and provides billions of dollars for states and cities to help cover new expenses created by the COVID-19 emergency. However, these funds cannot be used by cities to make up for lost revenues due to the COVID-19 crisis and limits direct fund recipients to states, counties, and cities with populations greater than 500,000.

Contact your Congress members now and ask that the next federal relief package include direct and flexible financial support for all cities regardless of population size. Share with them the direct impacts of the COVID-19 health emergency of your city, including losses in revenue and increased costs responding to the crisis. Find contact information below.

Additionally, you can support the National League of Cities' following call-to-action:

Take action on COVID-19 phase four funding
On Tuesday, April 7, Representatives Neguse (CO-2), Levin (MI-9), Luján (NM-3) and Malinowski (NJ-7) introduced the Coronavirus Community Relief Act (H.R. 6467), a bill to provide $250 billion in funding to all local governments with fewer than 500,000 residents. 

These members heard the message that America’s cities, towns and villages below the 500,000 population threshold in the CARES Act also need direct federal aid to face mounting challenges. This bill seeks to remedy that issue by creating a new fund dedicated to supporting local governments regardless of population.  

Please reach out to your members in the House to ask them to support this bill. Bipartisan support from Republican and Democratic Members of Congress is necessary for this measure to advance. Take action

Contact information for Washington Congressional offices