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Stimulus Activities Report – Washington D.C.

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Discussions are underway in Congress on a new economic stimulus package in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said recently that the Senate will consider a new package when it returns from its July recess on July 20. He said that the Senate bill would focus on “kids, jobs, and healthcare,” in addition to liability protection against lawsuits related to the coronavirus. 

The House of Representatives has passed two major pieces of legislation. The HEROES Act, passed in May, would provide an additional $3 trillion toward boosting the economy, including new provisions for student loan relief, rent and mortgage assistance, and an extension of the $600 monthly unemployment bonus currently set to expire in July. In early July the House passed The Moving Forward Act, which authorizes $1.5 trillion over five years for a wide array of measures to modernize infrastructure and address climate change and clean energy. Of special interest to Great Lakes cities are provisions that increase investments in water infrastructure, promote drinking water safety and affordability, increase funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, and provide funding for coastal resilience.

The House bills were passed largely along party lines and are unlikely to be considered by the Senate in their current form.  While there is broad support for infrastructure investments, paying for it is a major hurdle.  The White House has signaled support for a new stimulus package, which may generate support for significant new spending. Ultimately, House and Senate leaders will negotiate a new stimulus package, with Democrats leveraging provisions from the House-passed bills and Republicans advancing their priorities.  

The voices of Great Lakes mayors will be front and center as the Cities Initiative’s Stimulus Water Restoration Initiative advances our priorities with Congressional leaders.

Cities Initiative Launches Stimulus Water Restoration Initiative, Needs Your Support

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The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative launched the Stimulus Water Restoration Initiative on Monday, July 6, 2020, calling on federal elected officials in Canada and the United States to include water restoration priorities in any upcoming economic stimulus programs.  

Our key message is that our federal governments must make every effort to accelerate the pace of recovery and that the investments we are calling for will put residents to work and generate economic activity while addressing urgent needs in our communities. Specifically, the Cities Initiative is seeking investments that:

  • Safeguard drinking water and modernize clean water infrastructure
  • Help communities respond to coastal erosion and impacts from extreme weather events

We are asking for the following funding to be made immediately available to municipalities with no financial match requirements.

United States

  • $20.5 Billion in water infrastructure and erosion mitigation project funds, which will create over 400,000 jobs. 
  • Local Government Revenue Replacement program. We are also asking Congress to move forward on the Local Government Revenue Replacement Program – This Fund will reimburse localities for a reduction in revenue for the 2020 calendar year. City and county governments may apply to be reimbursed for up to 75% of lost revenue compared to the previous calendar year, with a cap of 2% on the total loss in revenue that a locality will lose compared to the 2019 calendar year. 

Canada

  • $7 billion in water infrastructure and erosion mitigation project funds, which will create over 150,000 jobs.
  • Municipal Government Funding – The Cities Initiative calls upon the Government of Canada to support Municipal Governments during the unprecedented COVID 19 economic upheaval. We are asking the Government of Canada to provide $10 billion in emergency operational funding to Municipal Governments.

This campaign requires your active engagement to be successful.   

How to Take Action

The Cities Initiative asks you and your council to take the following actions to build support for investments in water infrastructure and coastal resilience:

  • Complete the online survey of water infrastructure and coastal protection projects.  Click Here for Survey
  • Send a letter to your federal representatives.
  • Ask your city council to adopt a resolution.
  • Engage with fellow municipal leaders.
  • Meet with your federal representative to convey your needs.
  • Talk with the media.

Materials to support these actions are available on the Cities Initiative's website.

We are asking that you take immediate action on these activities because stimulus legislation is already being discussed in both Ottawa and Washington D.C.  Our staff will be reaching out to our members over the next few weeks to arrange virtual meetings with federal officials.  If you have any questions about this initiative please contact our Executive Director, Jonathan Altenberg at jon.altenberg@glslcities.org.