Counties and cities with populations under 500,000 are crying foul over being left out of the $2 trillion coronavirus relief fund, reports The Wall Street Journal.
Each state will receive at least $1.25 billion as part of the CARES Act, while the most populous states will receive over $10 billion, according to estimates from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
In states with no city or county over 500,000 people, the state government will receive the entire allocation.
"It's a terrible slap in the face to most cities around the country," Shane Bemis, the mayor of Gresham, Oregon, told the Journal.
Localities have lost money from sales taxes and income taxes and are seeing increased strain on police departments and first responders.
Lawmakers are already publicly floating ideas for a fourth coronavirus relief bill with more state and local help in mind after 128 House members sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., requesting the next package include stabilization funding specifically for locations with less than 500,000 people.
Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., on Wednesday requested an additional $150 billion for states and local governments.
The District of Columbia also missed out on approximately $700 million because it was grouped in with territories instead of states.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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