Cook seeks pandemic-relief funds for all counties, ‘regardless of size’

U.S. Rep. Paul Cook (R-CA) led a bipartisan group of nine colleagues in requesting vital COVID-19 emergency relief funding for America’s small and midsize counties.

“While the CARES Act provided much-needed assistance to many Americans and some of our larger local governments, the vast majority of counties have been forced to combat the COVID-19 pandemic without direct federal assistance,” Rep. Cook said. “All counties, regardless of size, are expected to provide the same critical services and follow the same protocols that larger counties are implementing to slow the spread of COVID-19.”

In a July 29 letter sent to leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives, Rep. Cook and his colleagues requested that flexible funding for all counties with populations of less than 500,000 people be provided in a forthcoming new COVID-19 pandemic relief package being debated in Congress.

These counties previously were omitted from such funding in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which provided direct assistance to municipalities with populations above that population threshold, according to their letter.

In California alone, more than 40 counties were impacted, according to Rep. Cook.

“This critical funding helped states and some local governments fund relief efforts and provided vital lifelines to our communities,” the lawmakers wrote. “Unfortunately, the CARES Act failed to ensure funding for counties with populations under 500,000, hampering their ability to provide front-line defense for over half of all Americans.”

Among the members who joined Rep. Cook in signing the letter was U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-CA).

Reps. Cook and Carbajal on June 4 also introduced the bipartisan Coronavirus County Relief and Stability Act, H.R. 7090, which would appropriate $36 billion for a Coronavirus County Relief Fund that would make payments to counties to compensate for lost revenue and costs incurred as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the congressional record bill summary.

The bill is under consideration in both the U.S. House Oversight and Reform Committee and the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee.

“As the pandemic continues, I hope that leadership will address this issue in the upcoming package of relief funding,” said Rep. Cook. “I thank my colleagues for joining with me to make sure vital resources and services reach all of our communities.”