WASHINGTON – The National Association of Counties (NACo) endorsed the American Rescue Plan on behalf of their members and highlighted the importance of state and local funding, saying it gives counties the assistance they desperately need to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
NACo Executive Director Mathew Chase wrote: “as the U.S. Senate debates this legislation, we strongly urge them to remember our frontline heroes and maintain the essential relief to local governments in the final bill. This aid is critical to strengthening our ability to serve our most vulnerable residents – our sick, unemployed, elderly and youth…
“Counties have struggled throughout the pandemic to marshal enough resources to serve our residents, support our frontline heroes and rebuild our communities for the future. We urge our federal partners to stand with us and deliver direct relief to all counties.”
The support from NACo follows an endorsement of more than 400 more bipartisan mayors across the nation. It also comes after a letter last week from the National Restaurant Association, over 160 business leaders supporting the Biden’s American Rescue Plan, a survey from CNBC that showed 63% of small business owners support the rescue plan, and numerous polls showing bipartisan support for the plan, including a recent Navigator poll that shows 76% of Americans – and 60% of Republicans support the American Rescue Plan.
The National Association of Counties join a long list of individuals and organizations who are showing the benefits of urgent relief including Brookings, Moody’s Analytics, and the Chief Economist of the International Monetary Fund.