Res. No. 1323
Resolution calling upon Congress to pass and the President to sign H.R. 6496, the Emergency Money for the People Act, which would provide for the issuance of emergency monthly payments to every American throughout the duration of the coronavirus crisis.
By Council Members Brannan and Chin
Whereas, SARS-CoV-2 is the virus responsible for causing the new infectious disease known as COVID-19; and
Whereas, On March 13, 2020, President Trump declared a state of national emergency concerning the COVID-19 outbreak; and
Whereas, As of the first week of May 2020, there were over one million total COVID-19 cases and over 70,000 COVID-19 deaths in the United States; and
Whereas, As of the end of the first week of May 2020, there were over 170,000 cases, over 43,000 hospitalizations, nearly 14,000 confirmed deaths, and over 5,000 probable COVID-19 deaths in New York City; and
Whereas, Governor Cuomo issued the “New York State PAUSE” executive order, that among other things, closed all non-essential businesses, effective March 22, 2020; and
Whereas, The PAUSE order and similar orders in other states shut down huge swaths of economy, putting millions of people out of work; and
Whereas, According to the U.S. Department of Labor, more than 33 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits over a seven-week period from mid-March through early May 2020; and
Whereas, According to the New York State Department of Labor, more than 733,000 people in New York City filed for unemployment benefits over a seven-week period ending April 25, 2020, a 1,832 percent change compared to the same period last year; and
Whereas, According to a Forbes analysis of New York State Department of Labor statistics for the week ending April 18, New York State’s unemployment rate was approximately 13 percent, the worst rate since the Great Depression; and
Whereas, According to the New York State Department of Labor, the accommodation and food services, retail trade, and health care and social assistance industries are the top three hardest hit industries in terms of number of unemployment claims filed, and these industries are also among the top four industries with the lowest wages; and
Whereas, On March 20, 2020, Governor Cuomo issued an executive order declaring a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures for 90 days, and on May 7, 2020 extended the moratorium on evictions until August 20, 2020; and
Whereas, This order does not cancel rent or mortgage payments; and
Whereas, Average rent for New York City apartments is well over $2,000 per month; and
Whereas, In April 2020, the New York City Independent Budget Office issued a report predicting that New York City could face its worst recession since the fiscal crisis of the 1970s; and
Whereas, Governor Cuomo has said that New York State faces a $10-15 billion budget shortfall, and the State could be forced to implement 20 percent cuts to vital services like schools and hospitals if the federal government does not provide sufficient aid to states and localities;
Whereas, On March 19, 2020, New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson proposed a coronavirus relief package, to be paid for by the federal government, including, among other things, temporary universal basic income payments of $550 for each adult and $275 for each child in New York City; and
Whereas, On March 27, 2020, President Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, an approximately $2.2 trillion relief package that included, among other things, a one-time “economic income payment” of $1,200 for adults earning up to $75,000 annually; and
Whereas, The government response to the COVID-19 crisis is rapidly evolving, and it remains unclear how a re-opening of the economy will take place, how long industries will take to recover, or how long people will be out of work; and
Whereas, Americans, especially New Yorkers who have been the hardest hit by the COVID-19 crisis, need continued economic relief in the form of direct cash payments to pay for basic necessities like rent, utilities, and food for the duration of this crisis; and
Whereas, On April 14, 2020, U.S. Congressman Tim Ryan, representing Ohio’s 13th District, introduced H.R. 6496, the Emergency Money for the People Act, which would provide for the issuance of emergency monthly cash payments to every American throughout the duration of the coronavirus crisis; and
Whereas, The Emergency Money for the People Act would provide a $2,000 monthly payment to every American over 16 years of age earning less than $130,000 annually, a $4,000 monthly payment to married couples earning less than $260,000 annually, and an additional $500 payment per child, up to three children; and
Whereas, Emergency Money for the People Act payments would be guaranteed for a 12-month period, unless as of the end of the sixth month the employment-to-population ratio for people ages 16 and over is greater than 60 percent; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon Congress to pass and the President to sign H.R. 6496, the Emergency Money for the People Act, which would provide for the issuance of emergency monthly payments to every American throughout the duration of the coronavirus crisis.
LS# 14437
5/7/20 12:18pm
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