Statement: Republican Plan Doesn’t Meet Needs of Maryland Families, Match Scope of Unprecedented Economic Challenges

The Republican COVID-19 relief plan unveiled yesterday doesn’t meet the needs of Maryland families and doesn’t address our unprecedented state fiscal crisis, which means it will make the recession longer and more painful, Benjamin Orr, Executive Director of the Maryland Center on Economic Policy, said in a statement today.

“Many Maryland families are struggling right now. Nearly 1 million Marylanders are unemployed and about 1 in 4 adults living with children are struggling to afford enough for their families to eat because of the public health crisis and recession. This crisis is bigger than any in our lifetime, but the Republican proposal doesn’t meet the needs of our state or the moment.

There is no increase in SNAP benefits to help people buy food for themselves and their families, no funding for homelessness assistance or additional rental vouchers, and substantially less money for laid-off workers even though the climbing numbers of COVID cases mean that many people are unlikely to be able to return to work soon.

And it does not include nearly enough aid to state and local governments to prevent layoffs of teachers and public workers and cuts to schools, Medicaid, or critical public services. Governor Hogan has stressed the need for additional federal aid while also making clear in his budget proposals that he intends to cut from these areas if additional federal support is not available.

Sens. Cardin and Van Hollen must keep fighting for congressional leaders to put people first and pass a better relief package, especially for state and local governments and low-income Marylanders who have been hit the hardest by the pandemic and are facing the greatest financial hurdles.”

New research released last week by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities shows the number of people struggling to get enough to eat has increased dramatically and a huge number of people are falling behind on rent — just as the national moratorium on evictions expires. In Maryland, nearly one-third of renters (31 percent) are behind on payments. While tens of millions of people nationwide are facing serious financial hardship, Black, Latino, Indigenous, and immigrant people have been hit the hardest because of structural racism that creates disparities in education, employment, housing, and health care. As we saw in the last recession, people of color are also the most likely to be further harmed by state and local budget cuts affecting schools, health care, and housing.

During these negotiations, Congress must prioritize support for people hard-hit by the crisis by making sure they get the help they need and work to prevent states, cities, and towns from making deep budget cuts that will hurt tens of millions.

The Maryland Center on Economic Policy is calling on Congress to immediately negotiate a bipartisan agreement that:

• Provides additional federal funding for Medicaid programs and direct grants to states, territories, and tribes to protect core public services such as education, public health, and transit service, in addition to aid for local governments;
• Temporarily increases SNAP benefits and housing assistance so people can get enough to eat and keep a roof over their heads;
• Temporarily makes the Child Tax Credit available to the lowest-income children and expands the Earned Income Tax Credit for low-paid workers not raising kids in their homes;
• Creates an emergency fund for states to help people who are falling through the cracks and to create subsidized jobs programs when workers can participate safely; and
• Continues expanded unemployment benefits.

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Media Contact

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About Maryland Center on Economic Policy

The Maryland Center on Economic Policy advances innovative policy ideas to foster broad prosperity and help our state be the standard-bearer for responsible public policy. We engage in research, analysis, strategic communications, public education, and grassroots alliances promoting robust debate and greater public awareness of the policy choices Maryland residents face together. mdeconomy.org