WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Bryan Bedford today outlined the proactive actions the FAA will take to maintain the highest standards of safety in the national airspace system. This includes achieving a temporary 10 percent reduction in flights at 40 high traffic airports across the country.
Since the beginning of the shutdown, controllers have been working without pay, and staffing triggers at air traffic facilities across the country have been increasing. This has resulted in increased reports of strain on the system from both pilots and air traffic controllers. This past weekend, there were 2,740 delays at various airports.
“My department has many responsibilities, but our number one job is safety. This isn’t about politics – it’s about assessing the data and alleviating building risk in the system as controllers continue to work without pay,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “It’s safe to fly today, and it will continue to be safe to fly next week because of the proactive actions we are taking.”
“We are seeing signs of stress in the system, so we are proactively reducing the number of flights to make sure the American people continue to fly safely,” said Federal Aviation Administrator Bryan Bedford. “The FAA will continue to closely monitor operations, and we will not hesitate to take further action to make sure air travel remains safe.”
A 4 percent reduction in operations will take effect Friday, November 7, ramping up to 6 percent by November 11, 8 percent by November 13, and 10 percent by November 14.
The FAA will also:
Prohibit some visual flight rule approaches (VFR) at facilities with staffing triggers.
Limit commercial space launches to non-peak hours so they are prohibited between 11:01 a.m. and 2:59 p.m. UTC.
Prohibit parachute operations and photo missions near facilities with a staffing trigger.
These actions were directly informed by the FAA’s review of aviation safety data, including voluntary, confidential safety reports that pilots and air traffic controllers file. The data indicates increased stress on the system, which increases risk.
Additional Information:
Airlines will be required to issue full refunds. They will not be required to cover secondary costs. This is the normal procedure when a delay or cancellation is not at the fault of the carrier.
The order does not require a reduction in international flights. Carriers may use their own discretion to decide which flights are canceled to reach the order’s goal.
Decisions to increase or decrease these flight reductions will be informed by safety data.
The 40 affected high impact airports include:
ANC – Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport ATL – Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport BOS – Boston Logan International Airport BWI – Baltimore/Washington International Airport CLT – Charlotte Douglas International Airport CVG – Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport DAL – Dallas Love Field DCA – Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport DEN – Denver International Airport DFW – Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport DTW – Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport EWR – Newark Liberty International Airport FLL – Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport HNL – Honolulu International Airport HOU – William P. Hobby Airport IAD – Washington Dulles International Airport IAH – George Bush Houston Intercontinental Airport IND – Indianapolis International Airport JFK – New York John F. Kennedy International Airport LAS – Las Vegas McCarran International Airport LAX – Los Angeles International Airport LGA – New York LaGuardia Airport MCO – Orlando International Airport MDW – Chicago Midway International Airport MEM – Memphis International Airport MIA – Miami International Airport MSP – Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport OAK – Oakland International Airport ONT – Ontario International Airport ORD – Chicago O’Hare International Airport PDX – Portland International Airport PHL – Philadelphia International Airport PHX – Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport SAN – San Diego International Airport SDF – Louisville International Airport SEA – Seattle–Tacoma International Airport SFO – San Francisco International Airport SLC – Salt Lake City International Airport TEB – Teterboro Airport TPA – Tampa International Airport
Governor Kathy Hochul today declared a state of emergency and announced new actions in response to the Trump administration stripping food assistance from 3 million New Yorkers come November 1. As the GOP federal government shutdown continues, the Trump administration has refused to release billions in statutorily approved federal contingency funding that would address this crisis in states across the nation. By refusing to release this contingency funding, the federal government is leaving millions of New Yorkers without critical assistance they rely on to feed themselves and their families.
While Washington Republicans refuse to act to avert this crisis, Governor Hochul is stepping up by committing an additional $65 million in new State funds for emergency food assistance that will reinforce New York’s network of vital food bank and pantry partners and provide about 40 million meals to hungry New Yorkers. The Governor is also deploying Empire State Service Corps and SUNY Corps Members to support local food banks during this emergency period of increased need, and continuing to explore food hubs at schools.
“The Trump Administration is cutting food assistance off for three million New Yorkers, leaving our state to face an unprecedented public health crisis and hurting our grocers, bodegas and farmers along the way,” Governor Hochul said. “Unlike Washington Republicans, I won’t sit idly by as families struggle to put food on the table. Today, I’m declaring a state of emergency and am committing additional state funds for emergency food assistance to ensure New Yorkers don’t go hungry. Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress have the power to stop this crisis — millions of families depend on it.”
Since the inception of the program, SNAP benefits have been federally funded. New York administers approximately $650 million per month in federally funded SNAP benefits to nearly 3 million New Yorkers. Given the scale of the program, Governor Hochul along with governors across the country have repeatedly emphasized that no state government can replace SNAP benefits or backfill the program.
Here’s a look at what today’s announcement means for New Yorkers:
$65M in new State funds for programs that support food banks, pantries, soup kitchens and more to provide emergency food assistance to New Yorkers
$40M in new funding for the Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program, which provides emergency food relief and nutrition services to food-insecure populations. HPNAP works in partnership with a network of about 2,700 Emergency Food Providers (EFPs), including food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters.
$25M in new funding for Nourish NY, which supplies surplus agricultural products (e.g., milk, apples, cheese, yogurt, cabbage, squash) to populations who need them through the State’s network of food relief organizations (i.e., regional food banks, food pantries, soup kitchens, and community-based organizations that provide food for free to persons experiencing food insecurity).
Deploying Empire State Service Corps and SUNY Corps Members to support food banks
Currently, hundreds of SUNY students serve as peer navigators, helping fellow students complete SNAP applications and assisting at campus and local food pantries.
The Empire State Service Corps will allow current members to expand their paid hours, enabling them to provide greater support at food pantries statewide. In addition, new short-term crisis response positions will be created to assist food pantries and food banks facing staffing shortages.
Today’s announcement comes as New York, along with 24 other states, sued the Trump administration on Tuesday to demand the release of emergency SNAP funds. The Governor also joined a letter alongside 20 other Governors to the President, calling for the Administration to reverse course and release emergency SNAP funds. Governor Hochul also fast-tracked $41 million in state funds for emergency food assistance earlier this week — today’s announcement brings the total of allocated state funds to $106 million.
New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, “The federal government’s refusal to release emergency food assistance will have devastating consequences for families already struggling to make ends meet. Access to nutritious food is a fundamental public health necessity — it affects everything from childhood development to chronic disease prevention. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, the State Health Department is working closely with food banks, local health departments and community organizations to ensure no New Yorker goes hungry during this crisis. These actions reflect our shared commitment to protecting the health and well-being of all New Yorkers.”
New York State Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa said, “No student should have to choose between focusing on their education and worrying about their next meal. In response to the recent cuts to SNAP benefits, our agencies are coming together to make sure no student is left behind. This is a team effort, working hand in hand with our partners in government, communities, and local organizations to build a safety net that ensures that hunger never stands in the way of learning and opportunity.”
New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner Barbara C. Guinn said, “SNAP recipients, most of whom are children, older adults or individuals with a disability, count on SNAP every month to feed their families. The federal government’s callous decision to cut off federal funding for SNAP recipients for the first time in the program’s history underscores this administration’s lack of understanding of the difficult economic realities facing nearly 3 million New Yorkers and millions more of our fellow Americans. Now is a pivotal moment for our federal government to honor its long-standing social safety-net obligations. We are grateful for Governor Hochul’s leadership and commitment to fighting on behalf of New Yorkers and demanding accountability from federal officials.”
New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “I am grateful for our Governor’s swift response to the federal government’s senseless and reckless cuts that will put millions of New Yorkers in jeopardy of not having enough food to put on the table, stress the emergency food system, and impact our farmers in the process. By providing additional, critical funding to our feeding assistance programs, such as Nourish NY, we will be able to help our food banks and food pantries purchase and make available more local farm products to our communities in need. This is one more step in New York’s efforts to fight back and ensure we do everything we can to maintain support of our families and our farmers.”
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said, “From day one, Donald Trump and rubber-stamp Republicans have waged an all-out assault on the health, safety and well-being of the American people. Their latest attempt to rip food out of the mouths of children, seniors and veterans who have served our country honorably is a disgusting dereliction of duty and makes clear that the cruelty is the point. Instead of finding money to pay off wannabe dictators in Argentina, Donald Trump should use the money that was appropriated by Congress to make sure that 42 million Americans do not go hungry and lose their SNAP benefits. I am grateful to Governor Hochul for her strong leadership and her principled commitment to making sure that every single New Yorker can put food on the table. It’s time for Republicans in Washington to do the same.”
State Senator Cordell Cleare said, “Over 3 million New Yorkers rely on SNAP including almost 1 million of our beloved Older New Yorkers. The program is a lifeline and provides a baseline of humanity and quality of life for those seeking just to simply provide for themselves and their family. It shocks the conscience that Trump and Congressional Republicans would hold families hostage like this, bulldozing the White House and plowing under the well-being of millions. I join the Governor in not only calling out the hypocrisy but in making certain that New York steps up to the plate and funds SNAP with state resources.”
State Senator Michelle Hinchey said, “Starting Saturday, the Trump administration will cut off SNAP benefits, leaving 3 million New Yorkers without enough to eat. SNAP is one of our country’s most effective anti-hunger programs, and taking it away is a cruel abdication of the federal government’s duty. We have to take every action to protect New Yorkers from the food insecurity created by the Trump administration, and I thank Governor Hochul for this new funding and support for food pantries, which will help us fight against this crisis.”
Assemblymember Rebecca A. Seawright said, “As Chair of the Assembly Committee on Aging, I applaud Governor Hochul for taking swift action to safeguard millions of New Yorkers from losing the food assistance they rely on. Older adults are among the most vulnerable to food insecurity, and the continued refusal of the federal government to release emergency SNAP funds is unconscionable. The Governor’s investment will strengthen our food banks and pantries, ensuring seniors and families can continue to access the nutrition they need to live with dignity. I stand with Governor Hochul in calling for the immediate release of federal contingency funding and for protecting the health and well-being of every New Yorker.”
New York Common Pantry Executive Director Stephen Grimaldi said, “The Government shutdown will have serious adverse effects for SNAP recipients on November 1st, impacting the working poor, elderly, children and the disabled. We’ve got to do better. The federal government must continue to provide SNAP funds to ensure people are fed or millions will flood food pantries and soup kitchens, overwhelming the emergency feeding network. We’ve just served the largest number of households coming for Pantry services in one day, in anticipation of the cuts.”
Food Bank For NYC CEO and President Leslie Gordon said, “Amid surging food insecurity rates, the Federal shutdown has created so much uncertainty and devastating long lasting impact for so many. We are incredibly grateful for the Governor’s leadership. Her support, along with that of the State government, allows us to continue to meet the growing need and serve every neighbor with dignity.”
Sharing Excess CEO Evan Ehlers said, “While we face a growing crisis of food access, the U.S. continues to waste nearly 40% of its food supply, throwing away ten times more food than we need to feed everyone. At Sharing Excess, we’re committed to redirecting that surplus to communities in need, and we’re thrilled to partner with Governor Kathy Hochul and r4 to make a meaningful difference for families across New York during a critical time of need.”
Governor Kathy Hochul today called out Washington Republicans for cutting critical safety and security funding for New York’s mass transit system. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) had been slated to receive $34 million in federal Transit Security Grant Program funds, which support essential counter-terror and transit security functions. Last week, lawmakers were notified that the MTA was to be the only agency of 21 applicants nationwide to not receive federal security dollars via this program.
“Keeping New Yorkers safe, from our streets to our subways, is my highest priority,” Governor Hochul said. “Since 9/11, New York has relied on federal support to ensure that our transit system has the counterterrorism resources it needs to keep millions of riders safe every single day. The shocking actions of Washington Republicans to slash these funds and defund the police put New York City at risk. We will not tolerate these cuts; New York will take every action available to us — including the courts — to ensure the MTA gets this critical funding to keep millions of riders safe.”
The Transit Security Grant Program was started after 9/11. Administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), these grants support critical functions to keep mass transit systems safe from security threats. The MTA carries a significant portion of the United States’ mass transit riders, with over 6 million daily trips taken on Metro-North, the Long Island Rail Road, and New York City Transit. In addition to approximately $12 million which would go to the NYPD, the MTA had planned to utilize this year’s grant funding to support the following public safety and counter-terror investments:
Two cybersecurity projects, extending cyber visibility into MTA’s key systems, and a cyber lab to develop protections and vet operational technology systems.
The procurement and deployment of approximately 330 tactical cellular cameras to replace & expand upon current unsecure offline devices in a cost-effective manner.
The expansion of MTA weapons of mass destruction chemical detection system across 9 subway lines and a commuter rail terminal.
The TSA mandated frontline security awareness training of 16,000 MTA employees.
374 deployments of MTAPD counterterrorism teams.
The procurement of 3 MTAPD counterterrorism coordination and response vehicles.
The installation of several hundred cameras, access control points, and laser intrusion detection systems at a major subway complex.
“What the federal government is doing to us is a stark moment of hypocrisy, literally threatening our ability to keep these operations safe, our ability to protect public transit riders compromised,” Governor Hochul said during a press conference. “Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is trying her very best to slash $35 million in funds for security on subway system–a person who swore an oath, as we all did, to protect Americans.
“Clearly defunding police without justification has no rational other than to punish blue states like New York. Of the 20 regions that applied for security funding, New York is the only one that has been denied.”
Governor Hochul chided the seven Republican New York members of Congress who pretend to “back the blue” and be the party of “law and order” for not standing up against these cuts.
Just this week, Attorney General Pam Bondi, deflecting from questioning from Senate Democrats on the Oversight Committee, repeated the meme that Democrats want to defund police. But it is Trump, her Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security that are defunding police and public safety in cities and states led by Democrats.
“We are the #1 terror target in America – not just 9/11, but countless cases have thwarted. We are safer because of the invested dollars from federal, city and state together. That’s what is in jeopardy – our safety compromised.”
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said, “The NYPD’s counterterrorism operations are essential to keeping people safe both above ground and below ground on our subways. Withholding these critical funds from the busiest transit system in the country is a profound mistake, and one that will make New York City’s subways meaningfully less safe. Counterterrorism operations – and public safety in general – cannot be politicized, and I thank Governor Hochul for her efforts to ensure the NYPD has the resources it needs to protect New Yorkers.”
Tisch said that eight terror plots against the New York City subway system have been foiled since 9/11.
Following initial reporting that the MTA would not receive Transit Security Grant Program funding, the Office of the New York Attorney General filed suit in the Southern District of New York, which issued a Temporary Restraining Order barring FEMA from executing the cuts. To date, FEMA has not formally notified the MTA that their funding has been restored.
New York State and the NYPD continue to make significant investments in subway safety. These investments, which support an ongoing surge of NYPD officers in the subway system — including overnight train patrols announced by Governor Hochul in her 2025 State of the State address — have succeeded in reducing transit crime to historic lows in 2025. In 2022, Governor Hochul directed the MTA to install cameras in all 6,000 of its subway cars, which it completed last year. To further enhance safety, this year, the MTA began installing brighter, safer LED lights in all 472 subway stations as well as platform edge barriers to improve customer safety at 100 stations throughout the system.
Subway crime in September was down 31 percent from September 2024, and year-to-date, crime is down 4.3 percent compared to 2024. This summer was the safest summer in the subway since 2009, with major crimes down nearly 10 percent from 2024. Felony assaults in the transit system were down in September, and were down every month this summer when compared with the same month last year.
“Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, MTA has made huge progress on every front – safety, reliability and ridership,” MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said. “It’s truly strange that Washington keeps spinning stories about subway crime, but then defunds the NYPD and MTA cops who patrol the system.”
MTA Chief Security Officer Michael Kemper said, “I can’t overstate the importance of this grant funding in reinforcing and advancing our counterterrorism initiatives. It significantly enhances our operational capabilities, all with the goal of providing a safe and secure transit environment for our riders and workforce — a responsibility we take seriously every single day.”
Last week, Governor Hochul successfully fought to restore $187 million in critical counterterrorism and homeland security funding cuts which had been planned by the Department of Homeland Security. These unprecedented cuts would have had a direct impact on public safety agencies throughout the state.
Governor Kathy Hochul joined business leaders, transit advocates and elected officials in New York City to highlight ongoing progress of the newly implemented congestion pricing program,and stand defiant against the Trump administration demanding to dismantle the program that is popular among local and regional transit and climate activists.
In the months since congestion pricing took effect, traffic is down and business is up — as the program delivers benefits for commuters from across the New York metro area and for businesses and offices in Manhattan’s Central Business District (CBD).
“Since congestion pricing took effect over two months ago, traffic is down and business is up – and that’s the kind of progress we’re going to keep delivering for New Yorkers,” Governor Hochul said. “Every day, more New Yorkers are seeing and hearing the benefits for our commutes, quality of life and economy – and we’re not going back.”
“The world has changed dramatically for this city and this region ever since congestion pricing went into effect in early January. Now to all the naysayers, hopefully you now are seeing that those who studied this and thought about it worked on this for years, if not decades – had a vision that is now being realized, that we can have a city that is not paralyzed by traffic and congestion, that our air is cleaner, that our businesses are more robust, more people are going to Broadway, our buses and subways are going faster and more supported – more people are taking them than ever before,” the Governor stated, after riding the M14 bus to the event.
“Not only is traffic is down and business is up, but also, subway ridership is up and crime is down.
“It’s been a long journey. We’re still on that journey. And the more people who get a chance to see the benefits – just walk around and talk to people, Ask if their lives are more enriched, whether they have more time with their families if they’re a commuter. Whether or not they’re finally realizing that we have the world class public transit system, but we need to keep it world class by raising the revenues to invest in it as well. That is essential.”
Governor Hochul just visited Trump in the White House and has invited Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who has made all sorts of threats against New York, to see for himself. Even Long islanders, whose Republican county executives and town supervisors have reflexively led the opposition against congestion pricing (Long Island commuters benefit the most by improvements to the Long Island Railroad and mass transit) and other initiatives like affordable housing, are benefiting.
“The cameras are staying on,” Governor Hochul asserted. “They sure as hell are. I want to recognize some leaders here who’ve done an extraordinary job in fighting for this. And again, this was not an easy journey. We have countless lawsuits. People going on television constantly berating this – saying it wouldn’t work. I want them to come here now and feel a very different New York City. That is very alive, and it’s vital. It is not jammed and stuck in traffic.
”We are moving once again. And we’re moving into a better future. A welcoming future. A place people can live safely. We’re going to build more housing. We’re going to bring more businesses. We’re going to make this to be the best place in the world to live. And we’re not done yet. More housing is right – don’t get me on that.”
“Congestion relief is working, cars and buses are moving faster, foot traffic is up and even noise complaints are down. That’s why in poll after poll more and more New Yorkers are saying they want those benefits to stay – and they will,” MTA CEO and Chair Janno Lieber said.
Since the congestion pricing program took effect on Jan. 5, it has delivered a wide array of benefits according to data from the MTA and other reports and studies from business groups and other data sources.
Traffic Is Down
Traffic is down 11 percent in the CBD in February compared to the same time last year.
Three million fewer vehicles entered the CBD in January and February compared to the same time last year.
Traffic is moving up to 30 percent faster on bridge and tunnel crossings in February compared to the same time last year.
Commuters saving up to 21 minutes per trip into the CBD.
Bus service is faster throughout the CBD, with up to 23 percent customer trips on express buses delayed 10 minutes or more.
Complaints about excessive car horn honking within the CBD were down by more than 70 percent in January and February compared to the same time last year.
Business Is Up
Broadway show attendance was up 19 percent in January and February compared to the same time last year.
Restaurant reservations in the CBD rose 5 percent from January to mid-March compared to the same time last year.
Retail sales in the CBD are on track to be $900 million higher in 2025 compared to last year.
Workers coming to the office in the CBD on an average weekday increased 6.6 percent in February compared to the same time last year.
Transit Ridership Increasing
Transit ridership in January and February 2025 has grown significantly compared to the same time last year.
Bus ridership is up 9 percent
Subway ridership is up 6 percent
Long Island Rail Road ridership is up 8 percent
Metro-North Railroad ridership up 4 percent
“Congestion relief is a local tool helping to solve a local problem. With this tool activated we are delivering access to efficient transportation to all New Yorkers and visitors including those who drive, and those who ride our subways, buses, and paratransit vehicles alike,” MTA Chief Accessibility Officer Quemuel Arroyo said. (His remark flips Trump’s statement justifying shutting down the Department of Education in order to “return power to the states.”)
State Senator Liz Krueger said,“Congestion pricing works, and it is already delivering for New Yorkers, the vast majority of whom rely on public transit every single day. Congestion Pricing is improving commutes, reducing congestion, and raising funds for public transit, all while businesses in the zone enjoy an increase in foot traffic and the program grows in popularity with those who are actually impacted by it. I am proud to stand with Governor Hochul and the MTA in defending Congestion Pricing, not just on behalf of the New Yorkers who directly benefit from it, but also for New York’s sovereignty and for the rule of law that is the keystone of our democracy.”
State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal said, “Since congestion pricing started travel times have improved by as much as 59 percent during peak afternoon hours. That means that drivers are saving on average 20 to 30 minutes driving into the Central Business District every single day. Take it from those of us who actually live and work in the Central Business District, congestion pricing is working. Since the program began, not only are commute times down, but foot traffic is up, businesses in midtown are booming, support for the toll has increased, and tens of millions of dollars have been generated to make essential upgrades to our subway system, which is used by over 3.5 million people every day. Any way you look at it the first few months of congestion pricing have clearly been a success and the program must continue. I am proud that Governor Hochul is standing up for New York’s sovereignty and keeping the congestion cameras on.”
“Congestion pricing is already delivering for New York — easing gridlock, cutting pollution, and powering critical funding for our transit system,” State Senator Robert Jackson said. “Our future depends on a transit system that moves all of us forward — not one stuck in gridlock. This is about fairness — ensuring working people, students, and seniors have reliable public transit while reducing traffic that clogs our city. At this pivotal moment, we must stay the course. Investing in mass transit isn’t just about infrastructure — it’s about investing in the people who make this city thrive. Let’s push forward toward a healthier, more sustainable New York.”
State Senator Cordell Cleare said, “I support Congestion Pricing as a way for the MTA to fund their capital plan, and bring benefits; including the much needed upgrading transport accessibility, and rebuilding and sustaining infrastructure in my 30th District and beyond.”
State Senator Kristen Gonzalez said, “Congestion pricing is working; we’re seeing less congestion, faster bus commutes, and an increase in transit ridership. New Yorkers deserve to continue to benefit from the implementation of this program– they deserve clean air, and clearer streets. This is the result of relentless advocates fighting for cleaner air and public transportation, as well as the Governor’s commitment to putting New Yorkers’ will above the orders of the Trump Administration.”
“A strong, reliable and accessible public transit system is the lifeblood of New York City and congestion pricing has proven itself to be the antidote to our crumbling infrastructure and incessant congestion,” Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal said. “Since the program’s implementation, traffic has flowed more freely, buses have been more reliable and our environment has benefited from fewer emissions. The Trump administration’s demand to shut down our congestion pricing program is nothing more than another futile political move in his ongoing obsession of punishing New York. Governor Hochul’s decision to keep the cameras on is the right one and will help the MTA to rebuild the public transportation system that our city deserves.”
Assemblymember Deborah Glick said,“I am heartened to see how successful congestion pricing has been so far—less traffic, less pollution, less noise—and I look forward to an improved transit system for all New Yorkers. New York has long led the nation in innovation and I am proud to stand with my colleagues in fighting the federal administration’s attempt to undermine this important program.”
Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas said, “Congestion pricing works, and we cannot afford to turn back now. In just a few months, we’ve already seen improvements in commute times and have created a new revenue stream to accelerate the modernization of our public transportation system. We must not let the obstruction of the Trump administration get in the way of the progress New Yorkers need. This program is also vital for improving our environment by reducing traffic and lowering emissions, helping us achieve cleaner air and a healthier city. Our city is ready for improved bus and subway services, modernized infrastructure, and greater accessibility. Public transportation must be safe, reliable, affordable, and accessible for all. Let’s continue this momentum and focus on strengthening the MTA for the future. Onward!”
Assemblymember Tony Simone said,“Congestion pricing was developed as a crucial solution to multiple crises in our city, in the time since the cameras went live it has more than achieved its mission. Our subway is crumbling. Congestion pricing has unlocked $15 billion to fix it. Our city center had been brought to a standstill by an overwhelming number of cars. Congestion pricing has already significantly decreased congestion without spillover into surrounding areas. Our streets are cleaner and safer because of the traffic reduction. Spending in the CBD has not declined, transit ridership is up, and honking has decreased. Congestion pricing is finally here and it is exceeding expectations. I stand with the Governor, keep the cameras on!”
Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine said, “Congestion pricing has been a huge success. Gridlock is down, mass transit ridership is up, and we are raising badly needed funds for subway station elevators, the Second Ave Subway expansion, signal modernization, and more. I look forward to seeing all the ways congestion pricing continues to benefit New York City.”
Riders Alliance Senior Organizer Danna Dennis said, “We’re so grateful to stand with the Governor today to continue to defend congestion pricing and support public transit. The bottom line is that congestion pricing is working: Transit ridership is increasing, buses are moving faster, and millions of New Yorkers are benefiting. We need to keep this momentum going, and we can’t turn back the clock on this vital progress for transit riders and all New Yorkers.”
Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA Executive Director Lisa Daglian said, “Congestion pricing works. It’s a fact! We’re seeing immediate benefits in and around the city and region, with less traffic, improved commute times, and faster speeds — good news for drivers, bus riders, emergency vehicles, and deliveries. Less congestion has also meant safer streets, less noise, and robust returns for Broadway, restaurants, commercial lease signings, and businesses small and large. Transit riders are also big beneficiaries, with more accessible stations, signal improvements and better buses coming our way. Thanks to Governor Hochul for standing strong and being a champion for riders and our economy!”
Hudson Square Business Improvement District President and CEO Samara Karasyk said, “Congestion pricing is a win for our city and I want to thank Governor Hochul for her continued advocacy. New Yorkers and New York City neighborhoods like Hudson Square benefit enormously from reduced congestion and more funding for mass transit. It improves our environment, creates safer streets, allows for more welcoming pedestrian spaces, and fosters vibrant central business districts. We have already seen a tangible decrease in traffic around the Holland Tunnel, which, along with our efforts these past 15 years to expand and green our streets and sidewalks, will help grow the local economy and enhance the vitality of our community.”
Meatpacking District Management Association Executive Director Jeffrey LeFrancois said, “Public transit is the lifeblood of New York City and improving the system is good for business, the Meatpacking District, and the region. Easing traffic flow makes streets quieter and more efficient. And if there’s one thing business loves most, its efficiency, because when the movement of people and goods are prioritized, we all succeed.”
“Union Square is experiencing a year-over-year upswing in foot traffic. Since the start of 2025, average weekday foot traffic in Union Square has reached its highest levels for this season in recent history, surpassing both pre-pandemic and recent-year benchmarks for January and February,’ Union Square Partnership Executive Director Julie Stein said. ‘We are hearing from our community that Union Square feels more peaceful and pedestrian-friendly and surface transportation commuting times into and out of the district have improved. While congestion pricing has been the subject of extensive debate, it is currently providing New York with crucial real-time data to understand the policy’s effects on traffic flow, the environment, and the experiences of New Yorkers. This invaluable information is critical to inform and shape our city’s transportation planning for years to come.”
Garment District Alliance President Barbara Blair said,“Congestion pricing plays an important role in helping us reduce traffic, improve air quality and strengthen our city. We need to move forward and continue addressing these critical issues — we can’t go backward and shirk our responsibility to ensure a better future for our communities.”
Make Queens Safer Founding Member Cristina Furlong said,“Twenty years of dedication and care for congestion pricing have blessed us with safer streets! Traffic is moving wonderfully and neighbors in all economic brackets have been pleasantly surprised by the success of this program. We look forward to reaping the benefits of better transit that every New Yorker deserves. This is especially important to us in Queens, as we see thousands on our platforms daily despite the crowded platforms and need for better accessibility, which will come sooner to more people with the funding from congestion pricing. We appreciate Governor Hochul’s steady leadership on congestion pricing and thank her and the MTA for its careful stewardship.”
Disability Justice Program at New York Lawyers for the Public Interest Managing Attorney Christopher Schuyler said,“Congestion Pricing has been a boon for New Yorkers from all walks of life, including people with disabilities, and we can’t allow federal overreach to stop the program just as we begin to reap its benefits. Congestion Pricing provides the MTA with $15 billion in revenue to fund much-needed subway construction projects, including essential and long overdue accessibility improvements for people with disabilities. Since the start of Congestion Pricing just over two months ago, we have also seen significant improvement in vehicle trip speeds within the tolling area, making it easier for those who rely on buses and Access-A-Ride paratransit services to reach their destinations quickly. People with disabilities, as well as every other New Yorker, deserve to travel faster and not waste time sitting in traffic. We cannot allow the federal government to bully New Yorkers and shut down such a successful program!”
Natural Resources Defense Council Senior Attorney Eric A. Goldstein said,“Congestion pricing is working! Less bumper-to-bumper traffic; fewer vehicle crashes; time-saved for those who must drive; less pollution with more people riding our subways; buses and rails; and the CBD as vibrant as ever. Governor Hochul and MTA Chair Lieber are exactly right to keep this successful program on track, in compliance with both state and federal law.”
New York League of Conservation Voters President Julie Tighe said, “With each passing day new evidence emerges showing congestion pricing is saving time and money for commuters and businesses, boosting MTA ridership and performance, and gaining in popularity across the region. The Trump Administration’s misguided attempt to end this program is a betrayal of the millions of working-class people who take the buses, subways and trains every day, and we applaud Governor Hochul and MTA Chair Janno Lieber for standing up for New Yorkers in the face of sham deadlines and shameless bullying. The cameras stay on.”
New York Public Interest Research Group Environmental Protection Organizer Cecilia Ellis said,“The students we work with are already enjoying faster commutes and safer streets, thanks to Congestion Pricing’s successes right out of the gate. We can’t wait to see more benefits, from elevators in more stations, to improved subway tracks, upgraded buses, and cleaner air as Congestion Pricing continues. We applaud Governor Hochul for keeping the cameras on and keeping NY moving!”
Regional Plan Association President and CEO Tom Wright said,“Congestion pricing is working to reduce traffic, improve transit, and support our regional economy. We applaud Governor Hochul as she stands firm against the USDOT’s actions to turn off congestion pricing – a program authorized by state law and approved by the federal government. Stopping congestion pricing would only hurt our region’s residents and businesses.”
“The numbers don’t lie: congestion pricing is delivering more revenue than expected, clearing our roads faster than anyone anticipated, and we’re not seeing the traffic spillover some predicted,” New York Building Congress President and CEO Carlo A. Scissura said. “We can’t afford to delay this program for even one day. This is a critical, dedicated, recurring revenue source that the MTA needs right now—to keep New York’s economy strong and our communities moving.”
The National Governors Association, chaired by New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, today sent a list of questions to the Trump Administration seeking clarity on how to most effectively distribute and administer a COVID-19 vaccine. The distribution and implementation of the vaccine is a massive undertaking that cannot be managed without significant logistical coordination, planning and financial assistance between states and the federal government. The list of questions — which were submitted from Republican and Democratic governors from around the country — covers funding for the administration of a vaccine, allocation and supply chain, and communication and information requirements.
“The National Governors Association, which I chair, sent a letter to the president of the United States last week. We asked to meet with the president to discuss how this is supposed to work between the federal government and the states,” Governor Cuomo said. “We are now releasing a compilation of questions from governors all across the country, Democratic and Republican, saying to the White House: how is this going to work? We need to answer these questions before the vaccine is available so that we are ready to go and no one is caught flat-footed when the time comes to vaccinate people.”
In his press briefing on COVID-19 in the state, Cuomo commented, “The 36 questions from the Governors sent to the White House basically are asking, ‘How does this work. We understand the concept but how does it work?’ Some of the questions: How will the vaccine be allocated to states? What formula is used – in other words, are you going to allocate it by infection rate? Are you going to allocate it by number of cases of COVID? Are you going to allocate it by population? Who determines how many each state gets – what’s the basis that you using.
“Is there a national strategy on the prioritization – in other words, the federal government going to say, ‘I think nursing homes should get it first. I think nurses should get it first. I think doctors should get it first. I think anybody over 70 should get it first.’ Is the federal government going to do that prioritization? Can they tell us if they’re going to condition the release of vaccines, right? The vaccines are controlled by the federal government. Are they going to turn around and say, ‘Well we won’t give you the vaccines, New York State, California unless you do X Y Z.’ And can we know that now? Is there multi-state coordination? On our own, during COVID we coordinated with the Northeastern states to New Jersey, Connecticut, et cetera. Is there a multi-state coordination piece here, or is everybody on their own? Am I my responsible for all of New York and there’s no connection to New Jersey and there’s no connection to Connecticut, there’s no connection to Pennsylvania?
“And who is going to pay to do this? New York State is already $50 billion in debt between state and local governments. And they have not passed legislation on the state and local relief. If the state has a deficit and the local governments have a deficit, we can’t fund essential workers. That’s who gets cut when you cut state and local governments. And now you’re going want undertake this vaccination program, which frankly requires more essential workers, not less? And they’re talking about a vaccine possibly in December. We’re here in October – this is just a few weeks to plan in this massive undertaking. Let’s learn the lessons from the past seven months. Otherwise, we’re going to relive the nightmares that we have lived through, right? Let’s not repeat the mistakes of March, April, May….
“We can’t go through that same confusion again. It’s not a question of knowing what to do. It’s a question of knowing how to do it. We know what we need to do. We need to control the virus, we need to take more tests, now we need to do vaccines. We know what we need to do. How do you do it? How do you do it – the devil’s in the details. How do you administer 40 million vaccines in the State of New York. That’s the trick. Everybody agrees with the concept. “Yes, vaccinate everyone.” Got it. How? How?
“And that’s the art form of government by the way and that’s what separates words from action and rhetoric from results and talk from competence – how do you do it? And that’s what we have to focus on now and that’s what the governors are saying to the federal government. Why? Because the way the federal government has structured it, the states are in charge of the doing. This person got to the COVID situation, he said, ‘It’s up to the Governors. It’s up to the states’. I don’t even know how that works by the way. It’s a nationwide problem. 50 states have it. But it’s not a federal response? The federal response is, ‘It’s up to you. You take charge, Governor. But I’m right behind you -go get ’em, tiger.’ Yeah, thank you very much. So again, I’m sure what the federal government is talking about is we’ll approve the vaccines, we’ll appropriate the vaccine, we then deliver them to the state. You figure out how to do it. Who pays? Insurance companies? What happens for the uninsured people? How do I keep dosages cold, – 80-degrees? Well, those are details. No. That’s the difference between life and death in a situation like this. And that’s where we have to get.”
Cuomo added, “The State will have a statewide vaccination plan. We will do it in concert with the federal government. The federal government is in charge of producing the actual vaccines and distributing the vaccines so the State’s position is we have to wait for the federal government to provide us the vaccines, what is the schedule, how many, etcetera…
“We believe there’s going to be questions about the safety of the vaccine, so we put together a special New York task force team of experts. I’m going to ask them to review any vaccine before I recommend it to the people of the state. I think that will give people added surety in the vaccine. But, we are coming up with a plan on many presumptions. We don’t really know how many doses we’re going to get. We don’t know what vaccine we’re going to get. We don’t know when we’re going to get it. So this is all preliminary. But, we would prioritize the vaccinations. The prioritization would be based on risk and essential workers would have a priority and people at risk would be prioritized and we’d set up a matrix on that regards, by that regards, and there’d be several phases to the administration of the actual doses. We’re working with our health care partners all across the state. This is going to be a massive undertaking, hospitals, urgent care facilities , primary care facilities, pharmacies, local departments of health, mobile units, mass vaccination sites.”
Here is the list of questions NGA gathered from the nation’s governors:
Funding for Vaccine Administration
Will there be funding allocated to states to assist with distribution of the vaccine and other vaccine efforts?
Without additional state and local funding to implement COVID-19 vaccine plans, we will be hampered in what we can accomplish. When can we expect more definitive information about resources related to this response?
What are the plans for any federal contracts and/or additional funding to support “boots on the ground” to vaccinate in tiers 2 and beyond?
How will vaccine administration costs be covered for people who are uninsured?
Will the federal government be setting guidelines around allowable vaccine administration costs for those with health insurance (whether that is state insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, CHIP, or some other state funded health insurance)?
How will funding/reimbursement for vaccines be handled?
We understand that the vaccine will initially be provided at no cost, as was remdesivir. However, states now must pay for remdesivir on the commercial market. How long will the federal government commit to providing the vaccine to states cost-free?
Allocation and Supply Chain
How will the vaccine be allocated to states? What formula will be used?
How will the vaccine be distributed? What mechanism will the federal government use?
Can the administration provide more guidance on what prioritization requirements will be a condition of vaccine release and to what extent will states have latitude to guide these decisions?
Are any further PREP Act changes anticipated beyond authorizations for pharmacists and interns to administer vaccine?
How is CDC planning to manage vaccine distribution to Federal entities such as Federal Prisons, the VA and other Federal organizations? Will these entities receive a vaccine supply directly from the CDC or will states manage it?
Similarly, when can states expect guidance from the federal government on the states’ responsibility to vaccinate federal employees (e.g., who is vaccinating National Guard, USPS employees, FBI, etc.
How will tribal sovereignty be respected? The CDC sent a template asking how many vaccine doses need to be sent to each IHS/tribal health facility rather than asking states where each tribe wants their vaccine doses sent (which could be one of those facilities, a DOH public health office, a private provider that they’d like to contract with, etc.)
What will be the national strategy for vaccine prioritization when supply is short?
How will management of supplies (i.e. needles, syringes, alcohol pads, band aids, etc.) work?
Will there be further guidance documents on handling ultra-cold vaccine (i.e. thawing, storage after thawing, reconstitution, etc.?
We are aware of concerns that there is already a shortage of dry ice, which is being used to store the ultracold storage vaccines during the clinical trials.
If that is true, does that shortage impact plans for shipping of ultracold storage vaccine using dry ice and containers that could store the vaccine for up to a week?
If there is a shortage of dry ice, does this change the guidance to states to not purchase additional ultracold storage freezers?
We also need guidance on redistribution of ultracold storage vaccines. If they will come in 1,000 dose shipments as indicated by the federal government, we likely will need to distribute them further in our rural areas. What will the guidelines be to do that without compromising the vaccine?
How long will the product be viable outside of the original packaging that the 1,000 doses will be shipped in? Can/will smaller volume packaging be provided in the shipment as well?
What will the federal guidance be on sub-prioritization among the initial priority groups since there will not be enough vaccine at first for even healthcare workers as a group?
Communication and Information Requirements
There has been some indication that large pharmacy chains and possibly interstate healthcare systems will register directly with the federal government. We need the specific details since many of them are also reaching out to the states. This affects our targeted enrollment of these stakeholders to onboard as Covid-19 vaccine providers. When can we expect clarification on which stakeholders will contract directly with the federal government?
Will there be coordinated multi-state process for monitoring vaccination effects (adverse effects, lack of immunity responses, etc) to ensure early warning signs are identified as quickly as possible?
Will the federal government provide current/real time information about tribal nations enrolling with the CDC for direct shipments, versus enrolling through the state?
Can the administration provide more information around long term care facilities? Specifically, are they planning to mandate vaccines in nursing homes through CMS? For example, will the use of vaccines be connected to continued Medicaid funding? If so, when would such requirements take effect?
Is the federal government going to request that states report personally identifiable COVID vaccine data? We have concerns that this may create a lack of trust and discourage people from getting vaccinated.
What is the state’s role in safety monitoring after people have been vaccinated?
How many states are using VAMS as their Immunization Information System (IIS)?
Will states share their micro-prioritization within Phase 1b?
What communication/messaging materials have been developed?
How will complex scientific data be messaged and shared publicly? What type of educational material, and in what languages, will be developed?
What information will be shared publicly on each approved vaccine? How will transparency be ensured?
CDC is planning to require reporting to the IIS within 24 hours of administration of the vaccine. We know for flu vaccine there is a dramatic lag in data coming in – how will COVID-19 vaccine data reporting be any different?
New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer are calling for a Congressional oversight investigation into the Trump administration’s politicization of government functions that have impeded the country’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, releasing this joint statement:
“It is an inarguable fact that the United States has had the worst response to the COVID-19 virus of any nation in the world. Nearly 7 million Americans have tested positive for the virus, and more than 200,000 Americans have been killed by it — both more than any other country. The unprecedented and unacceptable scale of this tragedy is the direct result of President Trump and the federal government’s deceit, political self-dealing, and incompetence.
“Rather than turning to the advice and direction of public health experts and career public servants, President Trump instead put the health and security of the American people in the hands of political appointees whose first priority was securing the reelection of their benefactor, with predictably tragic results.
“Last week’s revelation that the White House blocked a Department of Health and Human Services plan to utilize the U.S. Postal Service to ship five life-saving masks to every household in the country, free of charge, in April was heartbreaking. Imagine the lives that could have been saved if every household were provided masks at such a crucial time.
“Even more dangerous, the nation learned last week that political appointees at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services — over the strong objection of CDC scientists — published the indefensible guidance that said people without symptoms did not need to get tested for COVID. Coupled with the agency’s abrupt reversal earlier this week on guidance related to the airborne transmission of the virus, it’s increasingly clear that the President and his advisers are trying to undermine the credibility of experts whose facts run counter to the administration’s political agenda.
“As a country, we cannot allow this type of politically-motivated decision making to take root. Logic dictates that COVID won’t be the last public health challenge we will face, and we can’t afford to again respond by playing politics, instead of listening to the science and facts. Congress must immediately conduct an oversight investigation into the Trump administration’s response to this pandemic, including the actions at HHS and the USPS the public learned about over the past week. Especially in light of Bob Woodward’s reporting, the question of, “What did they know and when did they know it?” cannot be left to the history books to answer. Our future health and economic security depends on holding the Trump administration accountable today.”
Cuomo commented, “Governor Whitmer and I today called on Congress to immediately conduct an oversight investigation into the Trump administration’s response on this pandemic. How can you not tell the American people what you knew and when you knew it? Just ask Peter Navarro. You had a memo that said millions of Americans would be infected. Did you tell anyone? Who did you send it to? Did anyone send you back the memo with a question mark? You met with the President 180 times since that memo – did you ever mention to the President, ‘By the way, I had a concern here that millions of Americans might be infected.’ It just doesn’t pass the smell test. It can’t be true.”
Governor Andrew Cuomo in his daily briefing in which noted that New York State’s COVID-19 infection rate has been below 1 percent for 32 straight days., laid out a searing attack on Donald Trump, charging that Trump is waging war on Democratic-lead cities.
“Trump is actively trying to kill New York City,” Cuomo declared. “It is personal. I think it’s psychological. He is trying to kill New York City…
“We lose more people per day to COVID than any nation on the globe. You know who did that? Donald Trump’s incompetence. And now they won’t provide federal funding to help repair the damage from the ambush they created…
“The federal government must provide a response; if they don’t provide a response the national economy will suffer for years. Every economist says that They don’t want to provide a response, why? Because they’re playing politics. They don’t want to help Democratic states. They don’t want to help Democratic cities.”
Cuomo put it into the context of Trump administration’s failure to take measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus which came into New York and the Northeast from Europe, not China, causing untold emotional and economic harm, and now doing everything possible to prevent the city and state from recovering economically.
Here are his highlighted remarks –Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
The good news is this: reopening is proceeding and our strategy is working. New Yorkers are doing a better job than any state in the United States of America— period— and I’m proud to be a New Yorker. The bad news is we have after-effects of COVID, social after-effects. We have economic issues. we have quality-of-life issues. We have increasing crime issues. We have habitability issues.
I can’t tell you how many phone calls I get from people, especially in New York City, who are literally worried about the degradation of New York City— and much of it stems from the economic problems. And Washington is doing absolutely nothing. They’re going back and forth with gridlock. This was the last piece of legislation that they were supposed to pass to handle the aftermath of COVID and they haven’t done it. The Republican Senate doesn’t want to fund state and local governments and that’s the sticking point. Not to fund state and local governments, but to provide all the money that they did to businesses— but you’re not going to provide funding to state local governments, who basically support police, fire, hospitals and schools is just totally ludicrous to me. And it starts with the President.
There was a headline in the Daily News once: “Ford to City: Drop Dead,” and the city was outraged Ford wouldn’t provide financial resources. What Ford did pales in comparison to what Trump is doing; not only did he tell New York City to “drop dead,”
Trump is actively trying to kill New York City. It is personal. I think it’s psychological. He is trying to kill New York City.
He passed SALT, which was targeted just at New York City tax reform; it cost us $14 billion.
He’s refused to fund the extension of the Second Avenue Subway from 96th to 125th Street. Every prior administration has funded the Second Avenue Subway. It is always been a federal-state partnership. Only this President, a former New Yorker, refuses to fund the Second Avenue Subway— even after we opened it up to 96th Street and did an amazing turn-around on the construction project that everybody celebrated.
He won’t approve the AirTrain to LaGuardia. And you want to talk about really ironic, repugnant logic? You know why he won’t approve the AirTrain to LaGuardia? He says he has to do an Environmental Review statement. The same President who has lamented about the delay of Environmental Reviews and how they take so long, and how they stop development and how bad the SEQRA is and how the environmentalists are all full of baloney when it comes to ANWAR. Now he says, “I can’t approve the AirTrain from LaGuardia that’s been talked about for decades because I have to do an Environmental Review. Now Trump, as the environmental bureaucrat. How incredible is that?
He won’t approve congestion pricing for the MTA. What does he have to do with congestion pricing? Nothing! It is just gratuitous. It is just gratuitous. There is no federal involvement with congestion pricing. Their approval is purely technical and it’s been over a year— we passed it in New York State. He won’t approve it.
He won’t rebuild the tunnels between New York and New Jersey that are dangerous. They’re Amtrak tunnels. Do you know who owns Amtrak? Who owns Amtrak? The federal government owns Amtrak. They’re his tunnels. They’re decaying. I went to the tunnel; I took a video of water seeping into the tunnel. I took a video of bricks crumbling. I sent them the video. He watched the video. Still, no money to fund the Amtrak tunnels.
This weekend, they stopped FEMA funding from cleaning schools and trains. “We want students to go back; we want schools to reopen.” But you don’t want to clean the schools? Students should go back to a dirty school? Is that what you want your child to do? Gratuitous and arbitrary, and now no federal funds for New York City and New York State post-COVID.
Donald Trump caused the COVID outbreak in New York. That is a fact. It’s a fact that he admitted and the CDC admitted and Fauci admitted. “The China Virus, the China Virus, the China Virus.” It was not the China Virus; it was the European Virus that came to New York. They missed it. They missed it. The China Virus went to Europe. It got on a plane and went to Europe. They never even thought of the possibility and then 3 million Europeans got on a plane and came to New York and they brought the virus. January: they brought the virus. February: they brought the virus. March: they brought the virus. And in mid-March, the federal government does a travel ban from Europe. Mid-March. Too little too late, Mr. President. He caused the COVID outbreak in New York. Donald Trump and his incompetent CDC and his incompetent NIH and his incompetent Department of Homeland Security.
Department of Homeland Security- “We’re going to protect the people of this nation “We’re not going let the immigrants come across the southern border; we’re going to create a wall” Why didn’t you stop the virus? The virus killed many more Americans than anything you were worried about on the southern border. This nation loses more people per day to COVID than any nation on the globe. Do you hear that point?
We lose more people per day to COVID than any nation on the globe. You know who did that? Donald Trump’s incompetence. And now they won’t provide federal funding to help repair the damage from the ambush they created. That’s where we are.
The federal government must provide a response; if they don’t provide a response the national economy will suffer for years. Every economist says that They don’t want to provide a response, why? Because they’re playing politics. They don’t want to help Democratic states. They don’t want to help Democratic cities.
This is a war on cities: New York City, Portland, Chicago. Right? These are the enemies from the president’s point of view. Look at his tweets. “These are the locations and the outposts of the enemies, so don’t provide them any funding even though we caused the COVID virus. It is an unsustainable position for the federal government.
Either this president will figure it out or the next president will figure it out. If Congress doesn’t figure it out, there will be mayhem in this country and there will be a different Congress in January. That is my political opinion. In the interim we have to be smart. We’ve gone through tough times before, New York, we had the fiscal crisis of the 70s; post 9/11 – I experienced it was a whole disruptive period – we went through the Great Recession, but we have to be smart we have to be smart we have to be financially smart and we’re going to have to come together and figure this out in the interim before we have a federal government that is sane and functional.
The good news is, this is going to be a challenge, yes, but nothing like the challenge we just went through. COVID was the challenge of our lifetime. COVID was the challenge of our lifetime. I hope and pray. But compared to what we went through with COVID, dealing with the fiscal crisis is a mere bump and we’ll get through it, and we’ll get through it together because we’re New York Tough, Smart, United, Disciplined and most of all: Loving.
The number of new cases, percentage of tests that were positive and many other helpful data points are always available at forward.ny.gov.
As schools reopen and districts, local health departments, and labs begin reporting data to the NYS Dept. of Health, the COVID-19 Report Card will be live at: https://schoolcovidreportcard.health.ny.gov/
Absolutely none of the plans to mitigate against the twin crises posed by the coronavirus pandemic on Americans’ healthcare and the nation’s economy have come from Trump, but rather he has played catch up finally responding to the pleas and shaming from Congressional Democrats, who turned the trillion dollar slush fund for corporations into a $2.2 trillion relief bill, and from Governors and Mayors desperate for life-saving medical equipment and supplies. But his administration has proved woefully inadequate to implement. The $350 billion earmarked to rescue small businesses that is supposed to go into effect has no actual means; the billions in relief checks that are supposed to go to individuals are bogged down by a dysfunctional administration. While Trump has used the coronavirus pandemic to attack Democrats, and take advantage of the limited ability of Democratic candidates Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders to campaign by turning briefings into rallies and extort praise and adulation from desperate government officials, Biden has sought to point to the contrast his leadership would offer.
Joe Biden released a “Make It Work” checklist to provide the federal government with specific recommendations surrounding the implementation and oversight of the CARES Act, the recent stimulus package passed by Congress to ensure the economic relief and recovery effort works for families, workers, and small businesses. (Recall Trump’s signing statement which basically obviated the oversight the Democrats put into the Act.) The checklist builds on Biden’s plan to combat coronavirus (COVID-19) released on March 12 and his emergency action plan for the economy released on March 26. This is from the Biden campaign –Karen Rubin, news-photos-features.com.
Implementation and Oversight of the CARES Act: The Biden “Make It Work” Checklist
1. Making Americans who lose their jobs financially whole by ensuring that they get their unemployment insurance on time and in full. The CARES Act provides for the equivalent of full wage replacement for average American wage-earners. With millions of Americans making claims for lost jobs in a single week – nearly five times the previous record – getting workers their wage replacement checks fast has never been more important. Let’s be clear: even with new funds from the CARES Act, if the White House does not do everything in its power to help all of our states swiftly implement these new unemployment (UI) benefits, states will be even more overwhelmed. Our states will need help with staffing capacity, technology solutions, training for new claims processors, and best practices from other jurisdictions. This must happen immediately – before the crush of UI claims becomes even more overwhelming. Americans desperate for relief to pay the rent and keep food on the tables for their children will judge states’ performance on the number of UI claims successfully processed, the number of Americans paid as quickly as possible, and how quickly they receive relief – beginning this week. Biden would:
Establish a UI delivery team to help states solve any implementation problems they face. He would authorize that team to provide funds beyond the $1 billion appropriated to states to add staffing and server capacity.
Apply a financial version of the Defense Production Act to ensure that banks that have contracts with states deliver unemployment benefit payments to laid-off workers do so in a timely manner, and that they offer prompt electronic payment options.
Issue clear guidance about the broadest possible eligibility and communicate that guidance effectively so that all Americans understand what benefits they are entitled to.
Make clear that gig workers can get partial benefits when they are still working if their compensation and hours have been significantly reduced.
Work with Congress to extend the provisions for the duration of the crisis. Four months is not enough to provide families the aid they need throughout this economic crisis.
2. Get direct cash relief as quickly as possible to as many Americans as possible. The CARES Act provides for $1,200 per person and $500 per child in cash relief for millions of working families. Biden would prioritize getting Americans the cash relief they are owed and making it easy to access the relief. The Trump administration is already failing at this by causing needless worry for millions of seniors and people with disabilities. Biden would do so by:
Delivering the payments electronically whenever possible and delivering pre-paid debit cards to those who don’t have bank accounts. Payments should not be delayed just so that President Trump can put his signature on a physical check.
Making payments automatic for millions who haven’t filed a tax return based on information the government already has– and streamlining filing for others. The Trump Administration has needlessly confused millions by first announcing that Social Security recipients and people with disabilities would have to file a tax return to receive their stimulus rebate, before reversing themselves. The reversal is welcome. The CARES Act clearly allows the Treasury Department to send cash relief payments automatically to millions of seniors, people with disabilities, veterans, and others without burdening them with new paperwork during a pandemic. Treasury can send these payments using information that the Social Security Administration, the Veterans Administration, and other agencies already possess to get payments to these people. From the start, Biden would have announced an automatic, clear, and simple process of getting stimulus payments to these individuals. And he would extend these same automatic payments to others, like veterans, who still would not get automatic payments under the Administration’s plan. For those who do need to file a new form, Biden would establish an immediate, streamlined cash relief application process to make sure the neediest Americans are being taken care of. There is no reason that most of these Americans cannot be paid within days of filing this paperwork with the right focus, the right process, and the right prioritization.
Expanding the CARES Act relief to dependents left out of the legislation. Democrats fought and won cash relief for most working families, but the legislation left out relief for dependents aged 17 and older, whether a high school student or an older relative living with a family. That is a huge hole in support for working families. As he pushes for relief to extend as long as is needed to pull us through this crisis, Biden would immediately ask Congress to correct this and give these families the support they deserve.
Preparing for additional payments. As the crisis continues, Biden would provide additional cash payments as necessary.
3. Keep as many people on payroll as possible by working with all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands to make maximum use of “work-sharing” and “short-time compensation” programs. The Obama-Biden administration expanded an innovative form of “employment insurance,” called “work-sharing” or “short-time compensation.” Under these programs, when a business keeps its workers on payroll – but with reduced hours – federally-backed insurance will compensate those workers to make up for their reduced hours. Expanding short-time compensation has never been more important than today, when keeping workers on payrolls is an urgent national economic priority. Before this crisis, more than 20 states didn’t have programs to allow for short-time compensation, and they were often underutilized even in the states that did. The CARES Act provides for additional federal financing to expand work-sharing. To make that financing work, Biden would:
Direct the Department of Labor to ensure these programs are offered in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
Provide resources and guidance for states to create a simple application for small businesses, as well as larger businesses, to take advantage of work-sharing.
Direct the Department of Labor to issue guidance applying the $600 per week emergency boost in unemployment insurance under the CARES Act to work-sharing programs.
Work with Congress to allow, on an emergency basis, work-sharing programs to pay benefits when hours are reduced dramatically, but employees are still working part-time.
4. Take the necessary steps to ensure that all small businesses can access relief fast, not just those with the right connections. The CARES Act includes a small business program to provide loans and funds to help small businesses survive this storm and keep their workers on their payroll. It also provides the same relief to small nonprofits, many of whom are needed more than ever in a national crisis. However, there is no assurance that all eligible small businesses will receive support — and the program relies on private banks’ willingness and ability to swiftly provide these government-backed loans. An approach that simply assumes major banks will do this in a fair, efficient, and comprehensive way is likely to result in too few loans being made, too slowly, and mostly to larger and more well-resourced businesses with established relationships and connections. To get loans out quickly to the millions of qualifying Main Street small businesses that need relief — especially in rural and urban communities and those owned by women and minorities — we need a network of financial institutions committed to and capable of efficiently extending credit to every small business and nonprofit in need of support. The rules must be clear and simple to give every eligible small business the confidence that relief is coming, and that they can plan for the future with that relief in mind. There are millions of struggling businesses that do not have time to wait. Success cannot be judged by incremental progress or splashy announcements – we need an effort to direct hundreds of thousands of loans to businesses, beginning this week. For Biden, this would be designated as a vital national priority. Immediately, he would:
Apply a financial version of the Defense Production Act, to make all banks prioritize the swift processing of small business loans, putting them at the front of the line as a national priority. Banks would have to process loan applications within a few working days from all small businesses seeking relief, including the mom-and-pop shops that need help the most and are frequently pushed to the back of the line and those in low-income and traditionally underbanked geographies.
Cut red tape: immediately use the authority in the CARES Act to set simple and clear eligibility criteria; a hyper-streamlined application process; and an expedited process for the smallest of businesses who are most likely to be left out.
Explore creative solutions like working with payroll processing companies to speed up disbursement, including a one-click process for accessing funds.
Produce a weekly dashboard to show which small businesses are accessing loans – to make sure that the program isn’t leaving out communities, minority- and women-owned businesses, or the smallest businesses – and whether they are maintaining payroll.
Make sure that the small business loan program is connected with the work-sharing strategy so that these initiatives are providing the maximum support towards keeping workers on payroll.
Halt evictions and foreclosures of small businesses, and work to provide forbearance on rent and mortgages to provide a lifeline as loans are being processed
Immediately reengage Congress to allow for small business loans that can keep workers on the payroll for far longer than eight weeks.
Immediately seek bipartisan agreement that additional resources will be available as needed to cover loans to eligible small businesses and nonprofits, so that there is not a race to exhaust the $350 billion that leaves some of the most deserving family and smaller-businesses out in the cold because they were not as well-connected or served well by banks.
5. Set clear rules on any industry support – they must help workers and communities, not bail out shareholders or financial industry creditors. The CARES Act gives the Treasury Secretary authority to provide financial assistance directly to large companies. While Democrats secured important protections against stock buybacks and executive compensation, Biden would set a higher bar to make sure that any industry bailout package helps workers and communities where the company operates – not the existing shareholders or creditors of some of the largest companies in the country. He would require that, in return for any financial assistance, large companies accept further conditions along the lines outlined by Senators Brown and Warren, including that they:
Demonstrate they are prepared to actively participate in the public health effort, including production, distribution, and logistics capacity.
Agree to maintain payrolls at reasonable levels, for both full-time employees and contractors.
Allow taxpayers to share in the upside of any recovery, as was practiced during the last downturn, while ensuring existing shareholders and creditors share in any losses.
Agree to worker representation on their Board of Directors.
Commit to not transfer jobs out of the United States.
6. Establish strong oversight and transparency to police abuse and misappropriation by the Administration and the corporations who receive funds. In addition to enforcing strict conditions, Biden would ensure there are no sweetheart deals, no special favors, and no slush fund, and that corporations follow through on their hard commitments. This is a major concern given the track record of the Trump administration. In the CARES Act, Congress established a Special Inspector General to police the $500 billion in funding for large corporations and to make sure it is going to the right places for the right reasons. But last week, Trump’s White House announced that it intends to restrict the work of the Special Inspector General, in defiance of the bipartisan legislation and the will of the American people to have strong transparency and oversight. Biden would provide full freedom to the Special Inspector General to conduct oversight, meet regularly with him or her, and ensure he or she had all the resources required for effective oversight. That is what he did with the Inspector General under the Recovery Act, and the result was less than 0.2% fraud .
7. Move much-needed funds for public health and emergency medical needs to hospitals, and local, state, and tribal governments. The CARES Act includes critical provisions to meet the needs of this public health emergency, including funding for cash-strapped hospitals. Biden would focus on getting those funds out the door, with a special focus on rural hospitals that were already financially constrained before COVID-19. He would also provide additional reimbursement plus-ups for Medicare providers who are risking their lives to treat patients. Finally, Biden would ensure that hospitals are not cutting the pay of doctors and nurses during this emergency, as some reports have indicated. The allocation of federal dollars should be conditioned on an explicit commitment to not cut back on wages or benefits of hospital-based health care workers. As funds are disbursed, Biden would work to ensure the administration is tracking what else hospitals need so that we can ensure that we incorporate that into future legislation and budgets.
8. Ensure equitable allocation of recovery funds. There is a growing body of evidence that recovery funding after crises actually widens pre-existing racial disparities. For example, researchers at Rice University and the University of Pittsburgh found that “whites accumulate more wealth after natural disasters while residents of color accumulate less.” Federal leadership will be required to ensure that recovery from the pandemic helps everyone hurt in the crisis in a fair and equitable way, with a special focus on populations that have historically been left out or left behind. Jurisdictions that receive funding should be required to develop and report on metrics for addressing potential racial disparities, and the SBA and Treasury should similarly track lending to ensure that minority business owners – who have traditionally faced unequal access to credit and capital – are not treated unfairly. And, the Trump Administration should suspend their public charge rule. Allowing immigration officials to make an individual’s ability to receive a visa or gain permanent residency contingent on their use of government services such as SNAP benefits or Medicaid, their household income, and other discriminatory criteria not only undermines America’s character as land of opportunity that is open and welcoming to all, but also may stop immigrants from getting help during this pandemic and pose broader issues for public health.
9. Establish a CARES Act Implementation Office with responsibility for ensuring (a) people understand and can effectively access all the relief to which they are entitled; and (b) states have all the capacities they need to get the money out as fast as possible. The CARES Act is hundreds of pages long. Big businesses have armies of lawyers to help them figure it out. But many small businesses and families won’t know what’s available to them like: who qualifies for mortgage forbearance? What do small businesses need to qualify not just for loans but for loan forgiveness? Biden would establish a team that would put together a plain-language, comprehensive guide to the benefits in the bill and who they are meant for — and a strategy to communicate to the American people. The Office would set up both online- and telephone-based customer service to answer questions. It would work with community leaders across the country who are on the front lines of this crisis. And, Biden would dedicate staff to every single state as action officers to assist states in accessing the CARES Act funds and disbursing them efficiently.
10. Start working on the Fourth Package now. We already know that more will have to be done; potentially a massive amount more. Biden wouldn’t wait. He would bring together the leaders of Congress to design a fourth package that accomplishes three things: (a) fixes things that aren’t working in CARES Act implementation and fills in gaps that become apparent; (b) takes care of the people the CARES Act left out; and (c) does whatever it takes, spends whatever it takes, to help the American people and the American economy emerge from the other side of this stronger. He would also make sure the new package automatically extends relief as long as is needed to support families and communities through this crisis. In addition to provisions mentioned above, Biden would ask Congress to include in new legislation:
Any further resources and authority required to break down barriers to implementation, whether on small business, or unemployment insurance, or short-time compensation.
Additional provisions to meet needs not fully covered in the CARES Act, including:
Additional funds for states. As this crisis unfolds, states are going to get crushed under the weight of falling revenues combined with far higher emergency financial burdens. Cops and firefighters and teachers are going to be at risk of losing pay. Biden would make sure the federal government provides the relief that communities on the front lines need to put their full resources behind the public health response without forcing painful and damaging cuts to public services, education, and public safety, and to deal with extraordinary economic circumstances like helping with missed rent and other payments for those facing significant hardship.
Cost-free treatment for COVID-19, regardless of immigration status.
Student debt forgiveness through the duration of the crisis, with a minimum of $10,000.
Boosts to Social Security by $200 per month for seniors and persons with disabilities.
Paid sick leave and paid family and medical leave for every worker, and making these benefits permanent.
An increase in SNAP benefits by 15 percent during the deepening recession, and temporarily provide low-income families with about $100 per month in extra nutritional support.
A rent freeze for qualifying individuals for the duration of the crisis
A halt to foreclosures and evictions as people get on their feet.
Key long-term investments, stronger public health systems, and automatic stabilizers so that in future crises the social safety net is there for Americans who need it.
Update: After tour of Northwell Labs, Governor Cuomo announced FDA approval for Northwell to test novel coronavirus: “After days of advocating the FDA and the federal government to expand testing capacity for the novel coronavirus in New York State and working with Northwell and Wadsworth to expedite the process, we just received word that Northwell Laboratories has been authorized to test under Wadsworth’s emergency use authorization. Manual testing of 75 to 80 samples per day will begin at Northwell immediately, but we still need automated testing approved so we can perform thousands per day.
“While this approval is a good first step, the FDA must increase the testing capacity for the State and private labs, because the more tests we run, the more positive people we will find and the better we can control and contain the virus. It’s one thing for the federal government not to have the testing capacity in place themselves – that was bad enough – but there’s no excuse for them not to be authorizing existing labs to do the work.”
New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo took the Center for Disease Control and federal government to task for failing to authorize private laboratories to test for the coronavirus, and for failing to authorize automated testing which could increase exponentially the number of people tested.
Testing is critical to finding people infected with the coronavirus in order to contain the spread of the infection, he said during a tour of Northwell Health Laboratories on Long Island, where as many as 1000 tests could be done a day using state-of-the-art automated testing devices which can analyze as many as 120 samples at one time.
Northwell’s laboratory is the most sophisticated lab in New York State and one of the most advanced in the nation. But as yet, CDC has not authorized private labs to do the tests, and has not authorized the automated testing systems that Northwell has, Cuomo said.
“CDC has not authorized the use of this lab, which
is just outrageous and ludicrous,” the Governor scolded. “CDC, wake up, let the
state’s test. Let private labs test. Let’s increase as quickly as possible our
testing capacity so we identify the positive people so we can isolate them and
we’re successful in our containment.”
The state is “continuing to test people and are working with
hospitals and local governments to give them the resources they need to contain
the spread of this virus,” Governor
Cuomo said. “We mobilized quickly but the federal government
has been slow off the mark and they continue to be slow. That’s unacceptable
– we need them to approve these private labs today so we can stay ahead of this
evolving situation. Worse than the virus right now is the fear pandemic – and
getting these additional facilities online will ensure we have more facts that
will help keep people calm.”
The Northwell Lab on Long Island would be the first private lab in
the state to handle coronavirus testing.
“This is an extraordinary facility,” the Governor said, flanked by
his state Health Commissioner Howard A. Zucker, and Northwell Health CEO
Michael J. Dowling.
“We
are trying
to contain spread of virus and to do that, we are testing as many as possible,
to find the positives and isolate them.”
If the spread of infection is not contained, he warned, more disastrous
measures, such as China and Italy have been forced to undertake – massive quarantines
of millions of people – “would be very disruptive to society and the economy.”
Cuomo said that the level of fear surrounding coronavirus (the disease associated with the virus is COVID-19) is unwarranted. “There is more fear, anxiety than facts would justify. This isn’t Ebola, or SARS. This is a virus we have a lot of information on. Johns Hopkins has been tracking 100,000 cases and what happens.”
Most people who become infected will experience mild symptoms like a cold or flu and can recover at home. But for vulnerable populations – the elderly, people who have medical conditions – the disease is dangerous and can be deadly.
The best “weapon” against the disease is
to reduce situations that create density.
Cuomo said he is speaking with business leaders across the state to encourage them to offer liberal sick leave so that people who are sick, who feel symptoms, stay home but are still paid; he also is encouraging businesses as well as state and local government offices, to stagger workers in shifts if possible; and to allow work-at-home where feasible.
Individuals also have a role in keeping themselves safe, he said – wash hands frequently, don’t shake hands, just as in any flu season. He advises people who take mass transit to let a train pass if the cars are too packed, and to move to less crowded cars. “Reduce density, proximity.”
The single best thing government can do
is to test. “The more positives we identify, the more we can isolate to stop
the spread.”
The Governor confirmed 16 additional cases of novel coronavirus in New York State since his last update yesterday, bringing the statewide total to 105 confirmed cases on Sunday morning. Of the new cases, 12 are in Westchester County, one in New York City in the Bronx, one in Nassau, one in Suffolk, and one in Ulster.
Of the 105 total individuals in New York State who tested positive
for the virus, 82 are in Westchester; 12 are in New York City; five are in
Nassau; one in Suffolk; two in Rockland; one in Ulster and two in Saratoga
counties.
Cuomo criticized the CDC for being
unprepared, even as the outbreak became clear in China by December (“It is
delusional not to expect people to come from China”), and only recently
allowing states to do their own testing. New York has the Wadsworth lab, but
now is asking the CDC to authorize the state to utilize private labs, like
Northwell Laboratories.
“Not to be using this laboratory, not to be using the other private labs around the state makes no sense whatsoever. Not to be using automated testing, which means rather than a person manually handling a test tube and a test, the machines we saw that handle 120 samples at a time place them in a machine, the machine runs the test. Of course you should be using that technology. And it’s one thing for the CDC not to have the testing capacity in place themselves, but that was bad enough. For the CDC not to be authorizing existing labs to do the work, there’s no excuse for that.”
Cuomo also criticized the federal government for creating unnecessary confusion, which fuels fear. “The President of the United States says anyone who wants a test can have a test. Vice President of the United States says we don’t have the testing capacity. People say, how can you say both things? You can’t say both things. We don’t have the testing capacity that we need. Not everyone who wants a test can have a test.
“We have to prioritize the people who get the tests to fit our capacity, right. You can’t ask more people to come in and get tested until you know you have the capacity to test them. The number of people coming in for a test must equal the number of tests you can perform. That’s why in New York we have a standard protocol that’s in place all across the state, prioritizing who can get tested to fit our testing capacity.
“Once we increase our
testing capacity and we can perform more tests, then we can change the
prioritization of those people coming in for the tests. We have a statewide
protocol because we don’t want people shopping tests. I don’t want someone from
Nassau driving to Suffolk, driving to Manhattan, driving to Westchester because
you have different rules on who can get a test. Everyone, everywhere in this
state has the same rules, doesn’t matter where you go. Hopefully, the CDC acts
responsibly and acts quickly and we raise the capacity, we bring a great facility
like this online with the automated testing. We can then get testing per day to
about 1000 tests. And then we can calibrate the prioritization to the capacity.”
The
Governor also addressed price gouging, which is happening across the state and
the nation, “symptomatic of fear.”
“It’s unethical, exploitative of fear and illegal,” he said. “To make a few extra bucks on hand sanitizer, they would jeopardize their license to do business. There is an increased penalty for price gouging.” He said that consumers can call a hot line, that state police are investigating and the state Attorney General has the power to prosecute.
The state’s Division of Consumer Protection has created an online consumer complaint form, where New Yorkers can report suspected price gouging or concerns about improper delivery of quantity. (Consumers who wish to file a complaint can visit https://www.dos.ny.gov/consumerprotection/.)
Also, travel insurance companies and travel agents will offer New York residents and businesses the ability to purchase coverage when making travel plans that would allow them to cancel a trip for any reason, including for reasons related to COVID-19.
The Department of
Financial Services issued guidance allowing
travel agents and travel insurers to offer this type of coverage after DFS
received consumer complaints that such polices were not available in New York
State. This new action is designed to provide reassurance to New York
businesses and residents who are seeking to make plans that may involve travel
to locations that are not currently under travel advisories due to COVID-19.
Six global and national
insurance companies have agreed to offer “cancel for any reason”
coverage to travelers, including: Allianz, Nationwide, Starr Indemnity,
Berkshire, Crum & Forster, and Zurich.
DFS also directed New York State travel insurance issuers to proactively reach out to individuals and businesses who bought their policies to let them know what is covered. (Read a copy of the DFS Insurance Guidance Letter)
Yesterday, the Governor announced that he declared a state of emergency to help New York more quickly and effectively contain the spread of the virus. The state of emergency declaration allows, among other things:
Expedited procurement of cleaning supplies,
hand sanitizer and other essential resources
Allowing qualified professionals other
than doctors and nurses to conduct testing
Expedited procurement of testing
supplies and equipment
Expedited personnel onboarding
Expedited leasing of lab space
Allowing EMS personnel to transport
patients to quarantine locations other than just hospitals
Providing clear basis for price gouging
and enforcement investigation
“We do not want to have to do massive close
downs, massive quarantines, and we don’t want members of the vulnerable
population getting sick. That is why we are doing what we are doing,” Cuomo
said.
“So in sum, CDC let’s
move, authorize the State to authorize private labs, get this most sophisticated
lab in the State, one of the most sophisticated labs in the country, get this
lab to work. Why you wouldn’t makes absolutely no sense.
“And to New Yorkers, we
understand the facts. Keep this in perspective. We don’t want a lot of people
getting this virus. We don’t want to take more drastic measures. But, if you
get the virus, you will get sick, you will recover, you most likely won’t even
go to the hospital. And the only the people who we really have to worry about
are the vulnerable populations – senior citizens, people with compromised
immune systems.
“So keep it all in
perspective. I know there’s a whole frenzy about it, the facts do not justify
the frenzy, period. The biggest problem we have in this situation is fear, not
the virus. The virus we can handle. It’s the fear. And the fear is just
unwarranted.”
The Democratic candidates for president offer stark contrasts to the present occupant of the Oval Office. With a potential coronavirus pandemic creating global anxiety, Senator Elizabeth Warren has just released a detailed plan how she would prevent, contain and treat infectious disease outbreaks at home and abroad.
Charlestown, MA – Senator Elizabeth Warren released her plan to prevent, contain and treat infectious disease outbreaks at home and abroad. Diseases like Ebola virus, Zika virus and most recently, coronavirus demonstrate the real threat that outbreaks pose to our health and security. The United States can be a leader in combating these problems. But to do so, we must invest at home to ensure our public health agencies, hospitals, and health care providers are ready to jump into action when outbreaks strike. And we must invest and partner with other countries to help build strong public health systems abroad.
By properly preparing, we will save lives, strengthen our relationships with allies, protect our interests, and help build resilience to outbreaks and pandemics around the world.
Warren’s Plan to prevent, contain, and treat infectious disease outbreaks will:
Restore White House leadership on health security by designating a senior official to focus solely on this issue and fully funding domestic public health and preparedness at key HHS agencies, in contrast to President Trump’s decision to eliminate this White House role and massive proposed budget cuts to public health;
Restore American leadership in the international community, reversing President Trump’s assault on the State Department and USAID;
Invest in global health security and rejoin global efforts on climate change by changing how diseases emerge and spread, reverse President Trump’s proposed global health cuts and retreat from international climate efforts.
Ensure evidence-based decisions and equity in response to outbreaks, relying on science to contain them and ensuring that all communities get the help they need to stay healthy.
Preventing, Containing, and Treating Infectious Disease Outbreaks at Home and Abroad
In 2014, the world watched as Ebola spread throughout six countries in West Africa and eventually jumped oceans to reach the United States, Spain, Italy, and the U.K. As the outbreak spread, over 50 countries stepped up to help respond. The experience revealed a new global reality: to effectively beat infectious diseases, we need all hands on deck.
In 2015 the state of Indiana experienced an outbreak of HIV stemming from the ongoing opioid epidemic. In a county with a population of less than 25,000, over 200 people contracted the virus. Simultaneously, Zika virus was spreading throughout the U.S. and causing birth defects in children born to some infected pregnant women.
Experts believe the world is due for another bout of pandemic influenza. The latest threat comes from coronavirus, a respiratory condition in the same family of viruses as SARS that is spreading throughout China and just last week reached the United States. With well over 2,000 people infected and a rising death toll, China has restricted the movement of 56 million people. Theworld is watching closely to determine if this will be designated as our next global Public Health Emergency.
Instead of building capacity to combat these problems, Donald Trump has deprioritized global health security and risked putting us on heels in a crisis.
Trump has repeatedly tried to nickel and dime federal programs essential to health security, proposing billions of dollars in cuts so drastic that even leading a House Republican thought they would leave Americans vulnerable. Trump eliminated the key position that coordinates global health security across the many federal agencies that work to keep us safe. And his response to natural disasters that could lead to serious outbreaks, like hurricanes in Puerto Rico, has been basically non-existent.
Like so much else, Trump’s approach to keeping us safe from disease outbreaks is a mess. But when he’s gone, we can fix it.
We can invest at home to ensure our public health agencies, hospitals, and health care providers are ready to jump into action when outbreaks strike. And we can help build strong public health systems abroad. By taking these steps, we will save lives, strengthen our relationships with allies, protect our interests, and help build resilience to outbreaks and pandemics.
That’s why I have a plan to prevent, contain, and treat infectious diseases — one that will help keep America safe and healthy. And as President, I will work across all levels of government here at home and with our many partners abroad to turn that plan into action.
Preventing Transmission and Preparing for Outbreaks The best way to beat a pandemic is to prevent it from starting in the first place. As President, I will work to build the foundations that help us catch infectious diseases before they spread.
Build strong public health systems at home and abroad. Combating infectious diseases requires building health infrastructure that enables us to handle epidemics whenever and wherever they strike. Diseases do not recognize borders — we need a global approach to a global problem. To build strong systems we must:
Fund agencies that prevent and manage outbreaks. President Trump has repeatedly proposed billions in cuts to the agencies responsible for fighting and preventing pandemics, a devastating blow that would put lives at risk. Some of the deepest proposed cuts were to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which runs essential pandemic prevention and response programs. As President, I will fully fund this work, ensuring that key agencies like the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the State Department, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have the support they need to do their jobs.
Prepare health departments, health care providers and
hospitals, and other facilities and frontline staff. We must increase
funding for the Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) cooperative
agreement that supports the critical work of health departments across the
country to prepare for outbreaks, natural disasters, and more. Similarly, we
must continue to support the Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP), which ensures
we equip facilities and train staff on the front lines.
Fully fund the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA). Designed to build capacity in nearly 50 countries, the GHSA funds work in partnership with other countries to strengthen their public health infrastructure and combat outbreaks before they start. And in a few short years, it is clear that investment has paid off. Under President Trump some of this work has ramped down, but we know that the ability to stop an outbreak requires consistent investment and support. As President, I’ll provide it.
Reduce transmission of infectious diseases at home. By
reducing the transmission of communicable diseases like HIV and Hepatitis C, we
keep families healthy and safe and strengthen our health system’s ability to
respond to global pandemics. That’s why I have a plan to invest $100 billion to
end the opioid epidemic, and why I’ve committed to end the domestic HIV epidemic by
2025 and ensure that patients can afford drugs like PrEP and
Hepatitis C treatments by acting on Day One of my presidency to
lower drug prices.
Move to Medicare for All. When people can’t
access basic health care, infectious diseases are more likely to spread and
cause severe, lasting health effects — as we saw in the recent Indiana HIV outbreak.
This is especially true in underserved communities, who can experience
the effects of outbreaks more
severely. Under Medicare for All, everyone will have high quality health care
they can afford, removing financial barriers for patients who may be contagious
and need to seek care. We all benefit when we stop the spread of infectious
disease faster.
Fully fund critical existing global health work. U.S. investments in global health, including programs that combat HIV and AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria help build capacity in countries around the world that enables them to better handle epidemics when they strike. As President, I will push to expand funding for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, which funds vital services for individuals living with HIV or AIDS overseas and is a pillar of U.S. global health programs. I’ll also repeal the Trump administration’s heartless Global Gag Rule, which makes organizations that conduct or refer patients for abortion ineligible for global health funds — harming patients and reducing the capacity of other nations’ health systems.
Fight climate change. A changing climate means infectious diseases will spread to new places, and it’s already happening. In 2016, the Zika virus threatened more of the U.S. because changing climates mean the mosquitos that carry it now thrive further and further north. And Lyme disease is expected to increase by 20% in the next decade due to climate change. West Nile is projected to more than double by 2050 due to warming, costing upwards of $1 billion annually. Our health depends on fighting climate change. And I have a lot of plans for that.
Recommit to the Paris Agreement and invest in the Green
Climate Fund. On Day One of my administration, I’ll commit the United
States to rejoin the Paris Agreement, including meeting Obama era commitments
to the Green Climate Fund — a critical funding stream to prevent the spread of
climate fueled pandemics — and backfilling the contribution that the Trump
administration neglected to deliver.
Recognize interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health. When it comes to pandemics, we must think about how animal, human, and environmental factors interact. Last year the Trump administration shut down the Predict program to test animals for dangerous pathogens that could cross over to humans. As President, I would restore this essential work. And I will support new scientific research to help understand and predict the impact of warmer temperatures on disease emergence and transmission.
Invest in CDC’s Climate and Health Program. This essential program invests in adaptation for the effects of climate change on our nation’s health, but it’s budget only allows for programs that cover roughly half our population. Rather than follow President Trump’s attempts to kill this program, I will expand it to cover every American so no community is left behind.
Prioritize effective federal management. As President, I’ll take key steps to ensure that the agencies who handle outbreaks have clear leadership, responsibility, and support.
Restore White House leadership position for health
security. President Obama created this position in response to the
Ebola epidemic. In 2018, the Trump administration eliminated it –
and I demanded answers. As
President, I will bring it back, with a formal senior lead in my White House
who focuses solely on global health security and oversees this work across the
entire federal government.
Rebuild the State Department and USAID. American security and health depend on robust diplomacy and development assistance, but the Trump administration has declared war on the State Department and USAID. We must reverse the trend of declining American diplomacy and development aid by creating a 21st century foreign service and corps of development specialists. My plan to rebuild the State Department ensures that we have the diplomats we need leading our engagement with the world to help effectively manage outbreaks.
Build on CDC’s legacy as the world and domestic leader in
public health. The Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) holds our nation’s largest supply of
medical countermeasures and medical supplies. Historically, CDC has managed the
SNS because it has the public health expertise to stock the right medical
countermeasures and ensure they get to communities who need them during an
emergency. In 2018, the Trump administration removed the
SNS from CDC management in an ill-advised attempt to
streamline response activities that could make it easier for drug companies to
lobby for their products to be included. As President, I will move it back to
optimize public health while ensuring coordination with other agencies.
Strengthen the Public Health Emergency Medical
Countermeasures Enterprise (PHEMCE). PHEMCE coordinates the federal
government’s efforts to prepare for potential chemical, biological,
radiological and nuclear threats, as well as from emerging infectious diseases.
We must ensure the PHEMCE fully utilizes expertise from across agencies and
reinvigorate its ability to prepare for and respond to emergencies.
Develop vaccines for infectious diseases. The United States should join it’s peer countries and invest in the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), a public/private global alliance focused on vaccine development, and actively participate in global coalitions working toward vaccine development. I have pushed CDC to prepare for pandemic influenza, which must include the development of a universal flu vaccine — a necessity if we want to effectively fight the next strain of pandemic influenza.
Containing Outbreaks and Ensuring Equity Effectively containing infectious diseases requires effective coordination, flexible resources, clear data and communication, and the ability to move fast while not leaving anyone behind.
Ensure surge funding to handle the outbreak. Responding to pandemics costs money. And when it’s needed, it’s needed yesterday. In 2014, Congress did not provide funding to combat Ebola when it was out of control in West Africa, and waited until nearly 3 months after the first case occurred in the U.S. to appropriate additional funding. But epidemics don’t wait for Congress. To have a shot at getting ahead of the next big outbreak, we must appropriate and replenish funding for the Public Health Emergency Fund at HHS. This fund enables HHS to quickly respond to public health crises without waiting for supplemental appropriations from Congress.
Establish the Global Health Security Corps. Sometimes outbreaks occur in places experiencing intense conflict. And when health experts cannot enter those regions, outbreaks can grow exponentially. A bipartisan commission recently proposed creating a global health team that can handle these challenges — doctors, scientists, and aid workers with extensive security training who can go into conflict zones to do contact tracing, build trust in communities experiencing conflict, and work effectively with foreign governments at the local, regional, and national level. As president, I’ll launch this Global Health Security Corps to ensure that we can get the right expertise to the center of an outbreak before it becomes an epidemic.
Mitigate impact on underserved populations. Underserved and disadvantaged populations are hit harder by outbreaks. Adding insult to injury, vulnerable populations are often scapegoated for spreading disease. Outbreak responses must ensure that everyone can get the help they need. This requires constant effort on the front lines – but system-level solutions can help, too.
Practice ethical and evidence-based infection
control. My administration will work with state and local governments
to ensure that disease surveillance and response is based on facts and science,
not fear. We will also reject ill-informed, unscientific, and often
counterproductive travel bans in favor of science-based efforts at isolation
and quarantine. These efforts will be undertaken only when necessary, and we
will provide strict protection of civil liberties for those involved, including
the rejection of any unlawful detentions.
Leverage federal health care programs to respond to disasters.Studies have shown the clear connection between extreme weather events and outbreaks. After Hurricanes Irma and Maria hit the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, for example, fatalities from bacterial Leptospirosis spiked, eventually leading to 26 deaths. In addition, despite the extensive damage to the islands infrastructure, the Trump administration waited months before delivering aid or assistance. I have committed to leveragefederal programs to quickly tailor health care responses to specific environmental disasters or outbreaks in affected communities when they occur.
Build equity protections into preparedness grant funding and government seeded innovations. I will instruct my administration to incorporate equity requirements into health preparedness and response programs to ensure all communities get the resources they need to stay healthy. I have also committed to improve environmental equity mapping via “a rigorous interagency effort to identify cumulative environmental health disparities and climate vulnerabilities and cross-reference that data with other indicators of socioeconomic health.” When the government helps fund development and clinical trials of medical countermeasures, we should be sure to negotiate a fair market price so that everyone can afford it.
Provideaggressive dissemination of reliable information. Communication is an essential element of effectively beating an outbreak. My administration will work with the private sector to promote the distribution of important factual information, to counter misinformation, and to ensure that critical facts are appropriately translated so communities can take the steps needed to stay healthy. The Trump administration banned CDC from using “evidence-based” or “policy-based,” as well as other terms, in official documents–unacceptable for an agency whose mission must be informed by science. In a Warren administration, science will once again be in charge at the CDC.
Uphold principles of open science and transparency. Sharing information about what is happening during an outbreak facilitates problem-solving. We must encourage sharing of specimens and data between researchers and public health officials, urge transparency from foreign governments, and increase support for data sharing platforms. During a public health emergency, publishers should not use paywalls to hide important data or force authors to keep data embargoed until publication. My administration will conduct a full-scale reassessment of the public health informatics supported by the federal government and modernize these systems, building on recent congressional investment. And I have already committed to improve interoperability of electronic health records, which will help providers all across this country see their patients’ medical histories and ensure that more patient data can be securely shared with critical public health databases, while ensuring that patient privacy is maintained.
Effectively partner with foreign governments and multilateral organizations. The U.S. cannot beat outbreaks alone. We must use all our tools, including diplomacy and international collaboration, to work through tough issues and partner with other countries. I’ll lead the world in promoting effective multilateral action, including through Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. And I’ll bolster our work with the World Health Organization (WHO) to continue reforms started after the 2014 Ebola outbreaks and improve the world’s ability to respond collectively to these crises.
Treating Emerging Infectious Diseases It’s essential that we continue pushing for medical advances — both to treat those who contract diseases and vaccinate against those we can prevent.
Invest in basic science. I have committed to invest $100 billion in the NIH — and $60 billion of that will fund basic science research. And when drug companies break the law, I’ll create a “swear jar” where companies will pay a portion of their profits from publicly-funded research back to the NIH. This funding will expand the research we need to develop vaccines and treatments for infectious diseases we know and novel diseases that have not yet emerged.
Invest and incentivize development of new medical countermeasures. To ensure we are able to effectively surge development during a pandemic, we must build and maintain strong infrastructure for medical countermeasure development. As President, I will ensure that small biotechnology innovators get ongoing support from Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), and we will leverage the Food and Drug Administration (FDA’s) expertise in manufacturing and clinical trials to help larger drug manufacturers bring these countermeasures to market at scale.
Bring new treatments to patients. The $40 billion I’ve committed to invest in the NIH will fund the creation of the National Institute for Drug Development — a new institute that will work to bring that basic research of the rest of the NIH into reality for patients. And under Medicare for All, we will be able to better incentivize the private sector development of drugs for which the market is currently broken, like vaccines and antibiotics. Vaccines prevent outbreaks from starting, while antibiotics provide critical protection against infections, and we are in desperate need of new antibiotics to combat resistant infections.
Enable surge support during outbreaks, especially for
diagnostics. BARDA and FDA must be ready to surge at times of
outbreak, when the need to quickly diagnose new cases is essential to
containing an outbreak and properly treating patients. My Administration will
work to provide this support and, when appropriate, use Emergency Use
Authorizations to get new diagnostics into the hands of health care providers
as soon as possible.
Prioritize therapies that work for all populations, especially kids. Therapies are often approved after being tested on populations that are not representative of the patient population. As a result, many therapies in the Strategic National Stockpile are not approved for kids, and some therapies do not work as effectively for racial minorities or women. As President, I will direct the FDA and BARDA to work with drug companies to develop pediatric medical countermeasures and increase the enrollment of underrepresented populations in clinical trials, ensuring that the treatments we develop work well for all of us.
Ensure treatments can reach patients quickly. Time is critical when you’re combating infectious diseases. We must make sure that our system is ready to “turn on” at a moment’s notice. That means we must constantly evaluate our medical countermeasure stockpiles and prepare annual updated biological threat assessments. And during an outbreak, we must quickly distribute medical countermeasures, with proper protections for equitable distribution across communities.
Ensure safety of high security labs. My administration will not allow labs to generate novel viruses with epidemic or pandemic potential, or to perform field testing of such viruses and will closely monitor dual-use research on biological threats and update policies as needed. This knowledge is incredibly important to protect our health, but could be harmful if used as a weapon. And we must be vigilant about lab safety standards and avoid accidentally mailing anthrax or forgetting about smallpox specimens for 50 years.
Diseases like coronavirus remind us why we need robust international institutions, strong investments in public health, and a government that is prepared to jump into action at a moment’s notice. When we prepare and effectively collaborate to address common threats that don’t stop at borders, the international community can stop these diseases in their tracks.
Vice President Joe Biden issued his own criticism of the Trump’s administration’s handling of a potential pandemic, in an op-ed in USA Today: Joe Biden: Trump is worst possible leader to deal with coronavirus outbreak citing the need for the President of the United States to cooperate with international partners to address this pandemic and prevent future ones. Biden writes that this is a moment that requires leadership — leadership that Trump is incapable of delivering — and lays out how his policies will be informed by science and reassert U.S. leadership on global health security.
