Rep. Payne, Jr. Wants to Give New Jersey More Time to Use CARES Act Funds

November 16, 2020, 4:15 pm | in

Rep. Payne, Jr. Wants to Give New Jersey More Time to Use CARES Act Funds

Washington, D.C. — Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. wants to allow states, such as New Jersey, more time to use coronavirus funds to protect Americans. The Congressman sent a letter today to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to request an extension of the current December 31, 2020 deadline so that states and localities can use CARES Act funding into the next year. With coronavirus cases increasing nationwide, states need the extension to provide future medical and financial security to American citizens, families and small businesses. States and localities could be forced to return the funds if the deadline is not extended.

“The coronavirus has proven it is not going away soon and states need this money to combat it,” said Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. “They need it for a variety of things that help Americans survive this public health crisis, such as sanitizing public buildings, expanding coronavirus testing sites, supplementing emergency food banks, and protecting small business leasing programs. I know the CARES Act stimulus aid has been a vital lifeline for local governments nationwide and they need more time to use these funds.”

The letter has 10 co-signers from the New Jersey delegation and it is listed below.

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The Honorable Nancy Pelosi The Honorable Mitch McConnell

Speaker Majority Leader

U.S. House of Representatives U.S. Senate

H-232, U.S. Capitol S-230, U.S. Capitol

Washington, D.C. 20515 Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Speaker Pelosi and Leader McConnell:

We write to urge you to extend the time frame for states to use funds under the CARES Act beyond the current December 30, 2020 statutory deadline. Without an extension, counties will be forced to return millions in CARES grants that could otherwise help the people who need it the most.

Counties and states have aggressively used their CARES funding to support people and small businesses during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. From sanitizing public buildings to expanding COVID-19 testing sites, supplementing emergency food banks, and expanding small business leasing programs, the CARES funding has been a vital lifeline for local governments nationwide.

We respectfully urge you to ensure that states and local governments can continue to access these funds. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage, and we are on the precipice of a long, dark winter as cases increase and continue to strain both public health infrastructure and small businesses. There are now over 9.6 million infections, with cases rising at near 100,000 new cases per day. Eight million people have fallen into poverty since the pandemic began, and there are 17 million children who are now food insecure.

Extending the deadline for state and local governments to use CARES funding is a common-sense solution that would ensure that health, safety, and recovery programs are available during what is expected to be a season of increasing COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Donald M. Payne, Jr. Mikie Sherrill