Republicans need strong federal leadership to combat this deadly threat. Help to get the protective equipment and supplies they need to protect their frontline medical workers and essential employees. Thertunately, administration is leaving it up to the states, forcing them to compete against each other in order to purchase equipment and supplies from the private sector. This is leading to higher prices and greater shortages. We need the federal government to use the existing authorities to efficiently, effectively, and citiesly help states and that need them the most. This committee has heard from Bipartisan Health experts that cities and states need a comprehensive nationwide plan to safely reopen the economy, including detailed plans for tracing, andact containment. Have been forced to develop their own testing ineffective,cient, and inequitable patchwork that will only prolong and exacerbate the crisis. Local governments are facing financial crises. Expectt survey shows budget shortfalls due to the coronaVirus Outbreak. Many will be forced to lay off employees and cut Critical Services including First Responders and the Emergency Services they provide. Need emergency to help their now economies and public functions. Passed the heroes act to provide hundreds of billions of dollars in release to small and midsized communities. I encourage the senate to send that bill to the president s desk for his signature without further delay. Countryaders across the have shown real leadership during this pandemic. Some of them are here with us , mayors or guiding their cities through this Public Health crisis. Mayor garcetti of los angeles, one of the first to close nonessential businesses and issues safer at home orders. , saving potentials of lives. Ohio, the mayor from Virus Outbreak spread through the Nursing Homes with tragic consequences. These and other local leaders with us today are on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. They have the difficult and challenging job of protecting the health of the residents while trying to safely reopen their economies, and keep their cities running. The goal of todays briefing is to find out how they think the federal government can provide resources they need to protect their citizens, and the guidance they need to sustain critical economicand reopen activity. Blame, not about casting it is about repairing faults, protecting communities, and saving lives. Learn we can listen and from these local leaders in an open and bipartisan way. I now recognize Ranking Member scalise for his opening remarks. Rep. Scalise thank you mr. Chairman, and i join you in welcoming all of our guests, the mayors of these great cities. Work you doe the every day on the front lines. Mr. Chairman, as you said, our country mourns a grim milestone, the virus taking the lives of over 100,000 fellow americans. The speed at which this evil invisible virus has killed has been unmatched by any foe in our nations history. Every American Family has been touched in some way by this virus, and the Global Response that has brought us here today, we have seen tragedy and hardship, but we have been unitedd of what a true and compassionate country america is. From the Frontline Health care workers to every individual whose social distances to protect others. We have come together, let us not forget the strength and. Esolve of this great nation the focus of todays hearing points to another hardearned lesson, America Needs to safely get back to work. Our Health Depends on it. The abilities of mayors to govern to fix the streets, pay police and firefighters, ithers, ambulance drivers depends on america getting safely back open again. Our upward mobility and the promise that no matter where you began, you can achieve your dreams in america, that depends on america reopening. That opportunity for all who seek, our personal relationships with our family, friends, god, all depends on us getting back to a free and mobile life. Some have said we must remain closed or be prepared to close again, as if there were a tradeoff between health and jobs. Mr. Chairman, our physical and mental Health Depends on safely reopening, reestablishing our quality of life. A new kaiser poll shows 48 of americans have delayed medical care due to the pandemic. 11 said their personal condition worsened as a result of that delayed care. The same poll shows for a said stressmericans related to the coronavirus has negatively affected their medical health Mental Health. Mental Health Hotlines are up roughly 1000 . , ande with lower incomes those whose jobs or wages have been cut are experiencing the highest levels of psychological distress. A new survey by the Cancer Society found among Cancer Patients, 79 reported care delays, including 17 who reported delays to chemotherapy, therapy. , or hormone one study predicts if the United States reaches depression level unemployment rates, we could see 18,000 additional suicides, and 22,000 more overdose deaths. Childhoodhalf of vaccinations are not being performed, setting up a future health disaster, including a Measles Outbreak which is predicted. Is anyone wondering if remaining closed is bad for our nations health, think about those devastating numbers. The health care in history has not been left out, they have april. 4 million jobs in over a Million People who work to improve the health of america are no longer able to do their job. 38 million americans have filed unemployment since late march, and even that unthinkable number does not tell the whole story. Fallen on of this has the least able. The chairman said 40 of americans earning less than 40,000 a year have lost a job since the economy was shut down. 80 of jobs recently lost to those with below average weekly wages. Inpanic adults say someone their household has lost a job or taken a pay cut due to the outbreak. We agree and understand that unemployment leads to an increase of deaths. If we do not see a concerted effort to safely reopen, we may lose more americans to the shutdown than the virus itself. We cannot let that happen. We can safely reopen, and we must safely reopen. Many states and cities have shown us how to effectively do this. Our Witnesses Today are mayors, officials who have seen firsthand the impact of the shutdown, their Health Care System stressed but not overrun. They are seeing local businesses reopen, but some businesses disappear. Children left with fewer educational opportunities. Every one of these mayors know this cannot go on. No package we pass can substitute a fully functioning economy, and all that goes with an open and free society. I look forward to hearing the details and each witnesses plan to safely reopen. What each of you has learned, and how each city plans to adapt as new information on what is working becomes more widely available, and we can share in a better way the best learned practices for communities doing it well, so those who are not as far along can learn those best actresses as well, and safely reopen their economy, and hopefully prevent more deaths from happening from covid19 and the devastating impacts of the. Hutdown related to covid19 i yield back. Thank you very much, Ranking Member skellys. Ranking member scalise. Welcome and are pleased to be joined by mayors from across the country, leading the communities, large and small, urban, suburban, and rural. Is the mayorelist from seattle, washington. They had the first u. S. Outbreak of coronavirus, and encountered the first shortcomings of the federal response. Leadership asided they confront the spread of the virus. From mayorl hear benjamin from south carolina. Has been an strong advocate for reopening based on data and science. He has also provided leadership supporting local businesses, seniors, and homeless populations. We will also hear from mayor barnett from rochester hills, michigan. Has been a fierce advocate for cities and towns across the country seeking flexible and direct federalaid to support essential services during this pandemic. Next, we will hear from the mayor from atlanta, georgia. Action totook early save lives in atlanta. She has taken a sciencebased , it has to reopening to theational attention disproportionate impact of the coronavirus on communities of color. Then we will hear from a mayor from ohio whom i traduced earlier. Introduced earlier. And the mayor from jacksonville, florida. The mayor has been increasingly testing as a key focus of his reopening strategy in jacksonville, florida. From mayor will hear Eric Garcetti from los angeles, who also was introduced earlier. All of our distinct panelists joining us today. Thank you, chairman clyburn, theing member scalise and select committee. My testimony today has been forged by three months of hard truths fighting the devastating at theences of covid19 original epicenter of this crisis. Before i share my prepared remarks, i want to knowledge what is happening in minneapolis, and express my sincere condolences to the loved ones of george floyd. Like the impacts of covid19, reality ofthe stark Structural Racism in our country. We must work to dismantle its insidious impacts. Prior to the pandemic, we were one of the Fastest Growing cities in the country, and had a booming economy. All of that change three months ago today when covid19 struck unexpectedly. Hid thedocumented spread in our community. Our local scientists and Health Officials raised alarm bells, urging us to act weekly. Nearly anyter than city or region in the country. Mayors and governors had to write our own pandemic playbook. The people of our region show their strength, caring, and willingness to act to the common good. Helpedng together, we flatten the curve and saved thousands of lives. Today, seattle has some of the lowest number of cases among major cities, but this has been achieved with devastating economic consequences. We were quickly to help residents stay afloat, from halting evictions, to relief grants for Small Businesses, to creating a Food Voucher Program for families, and now making sure cares act money gets to the people who really need it. Manyleites, like so americans are weary, and their suffering is real. As Congress Considers its next actions, please remember, america has the innovative power , the on genuity and strength to match and beat this virus. This unprecedented crisis has than more american lives 10 years of the vietnam war, it has destroyed jobs and businesses, and has laid bare the deep inequities in our society. To win this fight, i asked congress in this administration to act in five key areas. First, use the defense production act to aggressively produce and distribute testing kits, ppe, face coverings, and other critical supplies. Mayor garcetti and i should not be bidding against each other, driving up costs and risking in a Scavenger Hunt hunger games process especially as we try to reopen and prepare for the next wave of the virus. Second, congress should invest in america through a bold 21st century new deal that is a fair deal that creates jobs and tips the scales back to working americans. Expanded unemployment is critical, but we need a bold vision for jobs. If we want to fix the economic problems exposed by this virus, particularly for communities of color, we need to guarantee health care for all. We could create millions of new and by investing in urgent protection needs, Green Technology and transportation, internet accessibility for all, and affordable housing. Third, congress should help address the unforgivable crisis in our nations senior facilities. 70 of the deaths in our region from covid19 have been in Senior Living facilities. Ys Nursing Homes should not be a death sentence. America owes our elders better than that. Fourth, the federal government needs to lead on strategies for reopening and Contact Tracing. 50 states with 50 different battle plans will cause more deaths. Decisions and metrics should be transparent, equitable, and based on real science and guidance. Need sustained significant erect relief. Cities are home to a majority of america, we are innovators and the safety net. We are your frontline in this success. D critical to in addition to the Critical Services we provide to our First Responders, we are providing meals, child care for essential workers, expanded services for seniors and individuals experiencing homelessness, testing for our residents, and emergency relief for businesses and workers. We are still in the early days of this generational challenge,. Requires ahis virus unified generational response. In these last months, we have seen so many acts of hope, sacrifice, resolved and courage. I am asking you to match that resolve encourage. Invest in a better america. Thank thank you very much, madam mayor. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, Ranking Members gleason members of the subcommittee, thank you for this opportunity to provide insight. And to brief you on how covid19 has impacted us. My third term. Capitalion to being the of our stay, we hosted students and we [indiscernible] let me start by thanking you for all that you and your colleagues are doing throughout this crisis. I want to make it clear that i deeply appreciate all that congress has done to act quickly and decisively. That said, and in light of all you have done, we all must do more. Provide thet necessary support for our nations cities and make sure our country emerges stronger than ever. As has been welldocumented documented, i and almost every other mayor are clear and adamant that the must build must assistance to cities including funding for all cities. Actpleased that the euros im pleased that the heroes act. This is critical. Almost every budget predicts a revenue gap. In 2019, state and local governments tax revenue a 10 reduction totals 214 billion. Put, absent flexible federal assistance, state and local governments will be forced to lay off employees and take other measures that undermine actions taken at the federal level. In clumpy, we project a nearly 20 million revenue loss. We are facing major Public Safety challenges as a fiscal crisis. Demand and need for core Governmental Services have increased significantly. We are also dealing with unprecedented levels of revenue loss. Direct, flexible and targeted assistance. That we can address this crisis and provide basic services. Heardent weeks, we have disturbing arguments from your colleagues. I appreciate this opportunity to point out that columbia like all like all local governments are required to balance our budget is. We have ended most years including the last 10 with a surplus. The city of columbia like many cities delivers core services. Another topic of importance our newness is municipal bonds. The crisis has frozen the bond market and driven up borrowing cost. We appreciate the Federal Reserves plan to use section. E funding to purchase however, the 250,000 population cut off leaves many cities out the cold. We urge congress to provide the Federal Reserve with Additional Authority to go beyond this crisis. This crisis is doing significant damage to the bond market. Legislation such as senator menendez this would be a good start. I cannot overstate how appreciative we are of columbias frontline workers. Simply put, they are truly heroes. Their services and symbolic gestures are not enough for those risking their health and safety. We have to make sure our front line workers are taking care of. Actre pleased the heroes has passed the house. In closing, i appreciate your leadership. Supportive of additional assistance to Small Businesses. Columbia launched a Small Business assistance program. There also pleased that cares act and its successor provides a number of programs which will be a lifeline to our most vulnerable residents. Thank you for your work. And for this opportunity to share columbias response to date and our priority for a future relief bill. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Thank you, mayor benjamin. Mayor barnett coming your recognized for five minutes. Good afternoon, chairman cliburn, Ranking Members police and members of the select committee, thank you for this opportunity to speak today. We do want we do mourn the grieve george floyd and for those he left behind. Mayore reached out to the and we will continue to pray for his leadership. Mymayor of michigan it is honor to discuss the ongoing need of americas mayors as we work to reopen our cities, protect the health and wellbeing of our residents. I want to start by thinking you and your administration for and song our hospitals many others with the Critical Resources needed to fight the pandemic. There is no question that what you have done has helped stabilize our city. Is straightforward and urgent. American cities are still being devastated by this pandemic and it is imperative that congress and the admin is administration take swift and aggressive action. Mayors everywhere are leading the local efforts to defeat the virus and yet most cities like mine have been left behind in washingtons response when it comes to address local business. Withrger cities population