Governors of both parties continue to blast Mitch McConnell’s position that state and local governments should declare bankruptcy rather than receive federal aid, including Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear who said “bankruptcy for a state would be disastrous.”
Despite the bipartisan outcry and warning the policy would put economic recovery and essential services like police, fire and education at risk, vulnerable Republican incumbents are either falling in line with the Majority Leader or refusing to speak out against a plan that threatens their states. Thom Tillis said he’s “aligned” with the Majority Leader while Senators Martha McSally, Cory Gardner and Steve Daines refuse to comment on forcing states struggling to respond to the coronavirus into bankruptcy.
Governors across the country aren’t holding back, calling McConnell’s position “irresponsible” and “dangerous.” Take a look:
Governor Andy Beshear (KY-D):
“I very strongly disagree with him here, as does every other governor in the country regardless of party… Bankruptcy for a state would be disastrous. Remember, that puts you in the hands of a federal judge and that judge could do anything from raise taxes on your people – which we can’t handle right now – to making disastrous cuts to law enforcement, and education, and health care.”
Governor Larry Hogan (MD-R):
“We’re on the frontlines. We’ve taken all these actions. We’ve got to provide these necessary services to get people back on their feet. It’s critical to the rebounding of our economy… [State and local relief] was very close to happening in this 3.5. Senator McConnell blocked it.”
Governor Gretchen Whitmer (MI-D):
“The fact of the matter is that for Senator McConnell to suggest that is incredibly dangerous and I don’t think that the vast majority of governors in this country, Republican and Democratic, would agree with him. He’s wrong and we need Congress to step up and help states because this pandemic – it’s because of this global pandemic that we are all having to make tough decisions. We need the federal government to have our backs.”
Governor Phil Murphy (NJ-D):
“What Senator McConnell said about letting states go bankrupt was both irresponsible and not factual. To your question, we won’t go bankrupt, we’ll gut the living daylight out of things like educators, first responders – the very folks we desperately need. This is the health care crisis of all time in our country’s history. We need states to be fully-funded.”
