6:20
The House is expected to pass the latest COVID relief package Friday or over the weekend. The American Rescue Plan includes $350 billion in funding for state and local governments, something for which Democratic New York Congressman Antonio Delgado has been advocating for some time. If the package is passed as is, his 19th District would see more than $400 million. He spoke with WAMC’s Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Allison Dunne Thursday afternoon.
Delgado says the $400 million for New York-19 includes aid for counties, towns, villages and hamlets.
If the package makes it to the president’s desk and is signed, and as it stands now, counties would receive funding directly from the Department of the Treasury within 60 days. The state would allocate funding to municipalities, with fewer than 50,000 residents, as is in the case in New York-19, within 30 days; for municipalities with more than 50,000 residents, 60 days.
5:40
A Democratic Congressman from the Hudson Valley has signed onto a resolution to impeach President Trump following the violent storming of the U.S. Capitol Wednesday. First-term Congressman Mondaire Jones spoke with WAMC’s Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Allison Dunne Thursday night.
Jones, who represents New York 17th District, says Wednesday’s events horrified people here and around the world.
“And there must be consequences for the near death of hundreds of members of Congress, myself included, and the violent insurrection and attempt to overthrow our government at the hands of the President of the United States and his sycophants who will do anything that he tells him to do, including take over the Capitol building. There must be consequences for this, we have to signal to this president and his acolytes in the Republican Party, who are watching to see whether he can get away with this, and whether they too in the future can get away with similar conduct,” Jones says.