Doherty to Murphy: Where’s the Aid for Warren County?

Senator Michael Doherty (R-23) stood on the steps of the Warren County Court House with local leaders, freeholders, and legislators to ask one simple question of Governor Phil Murphy – “Where’s the aid for Warren County?”

Here is Sen. Doherty’s statement:

“All of us are here today because we are concerned about the people of Warren County. We’re suffering out here, Gov. Murphy, and we have local small businesses that are being killed. So many families are involved in these small businesses. People have their entire life and their entire fortunes on the line. Unfortunately, we have a governor who’s totally tone-deaf to the needs of working New Jerseyans.

“In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, Congress and the President took decisive action and sent billions to the states. New Jersey received more than $2 billion. Instead of distributing that money how it was intended by Congress, and as emphasized in a letter that the congressional delegation all signed, Governor Murphy is squirreling away this money.

“Some people are conjecturing that he wants to hold this $2 billion for his budget. Maybe he wants to use it for some future borrowing plan. Whatever it is, this is just wrong.

“I find it ironic that Gov. Murphy is attacking the U.S. Senator from Kentucky. Gov. Murphy is saying, ‘Hey Mitch McConnell, we want more money! Pass something like the CARES Act II. Send more money here to New Jersey.’

“Meanwhile, the governor is sitting on $2 billion that was already sent to New Jersey. Here in Warren County, we are highlighting the fact that many counties in New Jersey qualified for this money and it’s already been distributed. Warren County has received nothing.

“Gov. Murphy asked us to participate in slowing the spread of the coronavirus by setting up testing centers. The county and freeholders took the lead on and made sure it happened. Gov. Murphy – we’re doing what you asked us to do, but we’ve received no money.

“The governor continues to sit on $2.1 billion of federal relief funds while restaurants, small businesses, non-profits, and local governments suffer. He doesn’t want to use it for its original intended purposes of helping people – he’s waiting for the feds to say he can funnel it all into the state budget to cover liberal spending priorities that have nothing to do with COVID-19 response.”