WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th May, 2020) Five governors of Western US states and all the heads of their legislatures have issued a bipartisan plea to House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and President Donald Trump for $1 trillion in extra aid, California Governor Gavin Newsom said.
"We are putting out a joint statement to the Federal government [and] to Nancy Pelosi and Mitch McConnell requesting aid in the $1 trillion range for the nation," Newsom said during a press conference on Monday. "This is the requirement of this moment."
Newsom said the California government had paid out $13.1 billion in unemployment relief since March 12 because of the economic fallout from the measures imposed to fight the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
"This gives you a sense of the need that we are all feeling as states, as regions, as cities, Newsom said."
Newsom, Oregon Governor Kate Brown and Washington Governor Jay Inslee announced a Western States Pact to coordinate health and economic policies through the COVID-19 crisis on April 13. They were later joined in the pact by the governors and state governments of Nevada and Colorado.
