Job cuts for public workers at the state and local levels are likely to occur on the front lines of the battle for the coronavirus if the Senate Republicans’ $ 1 trillion stimulus bill is to be proposed Monday with the White House support is approved without additional direct monetary aid to the states, Governor Phil Murphy said Monday.
The governor, speaking during a couple of morning television interviews, described the presented plan as “unfathomable,” as New Jersey and other states have been financially crushed by the outbreak.
“It is completely irresponsible. I don’t know which country they are frankly looking at, “Murphy said on CNN.
“Our expenses are skyrocketing, for obvious reasons, to deal with this pandemic, to deal with unemployed people (and) to deal with small businesses that have been crushed, our income has fallen off the table,” he said. “The only smart thing we could do as a country right now is to inject a large amount of cash into the states to keep front-line workers employed when we need them most.”
Thousands of state workers have already agreed to pause a 2% pay rise and take leave before the weekly federal stimulus of $ 600 ends at the end of this month.
But Murphy said layoffs are likely if the stimulus package is approved in its current form and front-line workers like the police, teachers and other public employees would bear the brunt of those cuts.
“This is not abstract,” he said. “People at the local and county levels will lose their jobs exactly when we can least afford to lose their jobs.”
Murphy said he recently spoke directly to President Donald Trump on the matter.
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Senate Republicans plan to propose the $ 1 billion stimulus bill to be proposed Monday, two months after House Democrats approved their own $ 3 billion package to respond to the ongoing pandemic. Includes another stimulus test.
“A $ 1,200 check is coming up. That will be part of the new package, “White House chief economic adviser Larry Kudlow said Sunday about CNN’s” State of the Union. “” The check is there. The reemployment bonus is there. Withholding is there. There will be breaks for small tax credits for small businesses and restaurants. All of that will be there. “
Additionally, the White House supports extending the four-month eviction moratorium that is scheduled to expire in late July, Kudlow said.
However, what will not be in the Republican proposal is aid for state and local governments, for which Democrats reserved $ 875 billion.
There will also be no continuation of the full $ 600 federal unemployment benefit under the plan.
New Jersey coronavirus numbers have decreased significantly and stabilized after months of closing orders. At the same time, many other states are experiencing sudden increases.
But Murphy has paused the Garden State’s gradual reopening plan in the middle of Stage 2 at a state transmission rate that has remained around the critical benchmark of 1. That means gyms, movie theaters, and dining rooms Interiors in bars and restaurants remain closed.
The state is also asking travelers from 31 states that qualify as coronavirus hot spots to voluntarily quarantine for 14 days after arriving in New Jersey, including residents returning home from a trip.
New Jersey on Sunday reported 11 more deaths attributed to COVID-19 and 512 more positive tests.
The state has now reported 15,787 deaths, 13,867 confirmed and 1,920 considered probable, with 179,363 confirmed cases since the state’s first case was announced on March 4.
NJ Advance Media Writer Jonathan D. Salant contributed to this report.
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