Press Releases
11/30/2020
Attorneys General Urge Congress to Pass Extension for CARES Act Funding as Pandemic Impacts Economy
(Hartford, CT) — Attorney General William Tong has joined a coalition of 47 attorneys general urging Congress to extend the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economy (CARES) Act funding until the end of 2021.The effort is being led by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller, who wrote the letter and sent it to Congress today urging members to extend the December 30, 2020, deadline.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has hit our nation hard and Connecticut is no exception. There has been widespread job loss and economic uncertainty this year and people are in dire need of relief. Congress must extend the CARES Act funding so that families can keep food on their table and pay their bills this winter,” Attorney General Tong said. “Extending this funding isn’t a partisan issue; it’s an American issue and I urge Congress to act now.”
With several pending measures, including bipartisan extension measures in both the House and Senate, the attorneys general urge Congress to pass one of these measures to give states and local communities additional time to utilize the precious COVID-relief resources.
COVID-19 has negatively impacted nearly every facet of American society. In March, Congress passed the CARES Act and provided more than $2 trillion in economic stimulus to state and local governments to combat the far-reaching impacts of the pandemic. One of the restrictions placed on the funding, however, limits the money’s use to expenses incurred between March 1, 2020, and December 30, 2020.
“This time frame likely made sense in late March when the CARES Act was passed, but we have learned a great deal about COVID-19 in the past seven months,” the letter states. “Among other things, we know that the pandemic will continue to challenge communities well beyond December 30, 2020 – a deadline that now seems unreasonable.”
As the pandemic continues to spread at an alarming rate, states and local communities will continue to incur COVID-related expenses. By extending the deadline, communities nationwide will be able to be more strategic with the use of CARES Act funds, the attorneys general said.
A copy of the letter can be found here.
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