President Donald Trump questioned whether the federal government should provide financial assistance to “poorly run” states led by Democrats, again framing the U.S. response to the coronavirus outbreak in partisan terms.
Trump appeared to align himself with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has said Congress shouldn’t debate relief to cash-strapped states until legislators reconvene in May. The Kentucky Republican has suggested states with large pension obligations under union contracts should be forced into bankruptcy instead of receiving federal aid.
Many Democrats and some Republicans have criticized McConnell’s bankruptcy proposal, arguing such a move would have far-reaching and disastrous financial consequences for the country. Democrats say federal aid for states and local governments must be part of the next round of coronavirus-related stimulus.
New York Representative Peter King, a Republican, called McConnell the “Marie Antoinette of the Senate” for his seeming indifference to the plight of local governments, including in his home state.
McConnell’s home town of Louisville faces a massive budget deficit as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, which has put a quarter of Kentuckians out of work.
--With assistance from Fola Akinnibi and Amanda Albright.
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.