Rep. Lee Hosts Roundtable with Nevada Public Employees on State, Local Need for Federal Relief
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Las Vegas, Nev. - U.S. Rep. Susie Lee (Nev.-03) hosted a roundtable with Nevada public employees to discuss the dire need for federal aid for state and local governments and their employees. With Fiscal Year 2020 (FY2020) ending today, Rep. Lee updated attendees about what she and Congress are doing to bring relief to state and local governments and the essential workers who keep state services running. Attendees shared how the state's budget shortfalls will impact them and their peers.
The public servants who delivered remarks included: Michelle Maese, supervisor at the Clark County Department of Family Services and an SEIU Local 1107 member; Scott Thompson, president of IAFF Local 1908; James Frazee, vice president-elect at CCEA; Jan Giles, accounting manager at the Public Education Foundation and interim president of ESEA; and Alonzo Thornton, psychiatric nurse at Desert Regional Center, AFSCME Local 4041 member, and an Army veteran.
"Tomorrow marks the beginning of a new fiscal year for our state, and we begin the year with a $1.27 billion budget shortfall," said Rep. Lee. "What does that mean and why does it matter? It means budget cuts for our education system, teachers, health care workers, firefighters, sanitation workers, and other essentials workers who maintain the vital services that support all of us Nevadans. The pandemic has been catastrophic for Nevada, and these cuts will make it worse.
"It didn't have to be this way," Rep. Lee continued. "For months, I have been calling on my colleagues in Congress from both parties to stand with me in passing my bill to temporarily increase federal coverage of Medicaid costs as state unemployment worsens. This would ensure that Nevadans have access to health care and that other areas of the state budget are protected from cuts. I've also pushed for federal relief for our communities with populations of fewer than 500,000, such as Boulder City and Henderson, which were excluded from CARES Act relief. Although the House passed these solutions in the Heroes Act, I urge my Senate colleagues to put party and politics aside and pass these commonsense solutions now.
"We can't risk bankrupting the future of our state," Rep. Lee concluded. "I thank all of the dedicated public servants who joined me in my roundtable today. Please know that I will continue to fight for the federal relief to help get us through this crisis."
BACKGROUND: As a result of declining state and local revenue from the economic impact of COVID-19, the State of Nevada is facing an estimated $1.27 billion shortfall in the General Fund for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2020 (FY2021). This represents a 25 percent decrease in General Fund expenditures below previously budgeted amounts.
On April 17, 2020, Rep. Lee introduced the Coronavirus Medicaid Response Act, which would increase critical federal aid for Medicaid programs as state unemployment rates worsen. A version of this bill passed the House as part of the Heroes Act on May 15, 2020. In addition to this provision, the Heroes Act included another provision for which Rep. Lee strongly advocated that would expand stabilization funds for smaller communities with populations of fewer than 500,000. These smaller communities were excluded from CARES Act relief. Smaller cities in Nevada's 3rd District, like Henderson and Boulder City, would directly benefit from this aid.
On June 7, 2020, Rep. Lee penned an op-ed in the Las Vegas Review-Journal calling on her congressional colleagues from both sides of the aisle to come together and pass this essential federal relief for our state and local governments and public servants.
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