NLC Applauds House Passage of Critical Aid to Local Governments

Washington, D.C. – Today, National League of Cities (NLC) CEO and Executive Director Clarence E. Anthony issued the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives approved direct aid to local governments in the American Rescue Plan:

“We applaud the House of Representatives for passing critical direct aid to cities, towns and villages of all sizes across the country. For nearly a year, local leaders of America’s 19,000 cities, towns, and villages have been asking for federal help to address the unprecedented financial strains caused by COVID-19. Local governments everywhere are anticipating federal aid to stave off additional and staggering job losses that severely impact their ability to help communities recover from the pandemic while preserving the essential services that their residents need to rebuild. Today’s approval of direct federal assistance to all 19,000 municipalities in the U.S. is a welcome step toward returning our communities to normalcy.

“The work to revive our nation’s hometowns is far from over. While we are seeing encouraging signs of economic recoveries in some parts of the nation, the 1.3 million jobs lost by state and local governments over the past year will be a drag on our nation’s economic recovery for years to come. We urge the Senate to act swiftly and decisively to provide local governments with the relief they need as municipal officials keep residents safe, support local business recovery, and ensure equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines to the hardest-hit and most vulnerable communities.”