Fighting for School & Community Safety

Dear Friends,

In our Capital Region and all across America, families are facing the difficult reality that their kids will not be learning in person this year. For some of the schools in our region, this is not because it is impossible to teach them safely, but because our local budgets have been devastated by the ongoing pandemic, and the Senate continues to sit on its hands rather than deliver the resources our schools would need to reopen their doors.

We knew this was coming. I and others in our region have been sounding the alarm for months now that we are approaching a local budgetary cliff. More than four months ago, we passed The Heroes Act through the House to deliver $1.3 billion directly to Capital Region local governments and $58 billion for America’s K-12 schools. These resources are critical to keeping our communities going, and they would make it possible for our schools to prepare for safe reopening as conditions allow.

The Senate’s response has been disappointing. After months of delays, denials and advice to states to file for bankruptcy, Senate Republicans offered a last-minute bill that just isn’t up to the challenge. Their so-called ‘skinny’ bill ignores the devastating scope of suffering that this COVID-19 pandemic has caused. It fails to deliver critical funding for testing, tracing and treatment to keep our communities safe, delivers no support to our state and local governments fighting to keep our essential services going and keep our frontline workers on payroll, and provides $0 of rescue to Americans with rental and nutrition assistance.

The Heroes Act is a lifeline for our communities and our nation. It delivers for all of us, including our students, teachers and schools in our Capital Region and beyond. Without it, our communities face catastrophic budget shortfalls for years to come that will mean steep, painful cuts and our kids’ education is just the start.

Last month it was announced that, without needed federal support, New York State could be forced to cut its budget by an estimated 20 percent due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. That equates to some $174 million in budget cuts to NY-20 school districts alone. This week, it was announced that there will not be a reduction in state aid to New York schools at the end of this month. However, the future of funding for our schools will be uncertain unless federal action is taken to help our communities through this crisis.

In just a few short weeks we have already lost teachers to COVID-19 as schools were forced to reopen without the resources needed to contain the virus. Our teachers are putting their lives on the line to educate our children. Forcing them into classrooms that are not safe and not prepared with a COVID-19 response is unconscionable and unnecessary!

The Senate has had more than four months to come up with a real alternative to the Heroes Act. For the good of our nation, we must come together to advance a meaningful rescue plan that supports the American people. For the families, workers and communities depending on us, failure is not an option.

DID YOU KNOW?

Throughout this pandemic, my office and I have worked to make sure you remain informed with the latest updates and recommendations on any and all COVID-19 related topics. With that in mind here is some information that may be of interest to you:

• On Thursday, the IRS released a state-by-state breakdown of the roughly nine million people receiving a special mailing this month encouraging them to see if they’re eligible to claim an Economic Impact Payment.
• The IRS will mail the letters to people who typically aren’t required to file federal income tax returns but may qualify for an Economic Impact Payment. The letter urges recipients to visit the special Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info tool on IRS.gov before the Oct. 15 deadline to register for an Economic Impact Payment.
• The IRS cautions that receiving a letter is not a guarantee of eligibility. An individual is likely eligible for an Economic Impact Payment if they:
  
  • Are a U.S. citizen or resident alien;
  • Have a work-eligible Social Security number; and
  • Can’t be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s federal income tax return.
• For more information on eligibility requirements, see the Economic Impact Payment eligibility FAQs on IRS.gov.