More than 140 current and former public officials from every region of Virginia have signed this letter to our Congressional delegation.
Dear Members of the Virginia Congressional Delegation,
The COVID-19 pandemic has left communities across the Commonwealth in urgent need of federal assistance. As public officials, we have seen firsthand the effects of this crisis on our families, economies, health systems, and local governments. We are facing two challenges simultaneously: the need for increased expenditures to meet local needs and the reality of reduced revenues as businesses remain closed.
COVID-19 has had an especially devastating effect on Virginia’s communities of color. This crisis requires immediate action to limit further harm and set up our communities for a strong, equitable recovery. We write today in support of the following priorities in the next COVID relief package:
– Increased direct, unrestricted funding to local and state governments. Reduced state and local revenues will create massive shortfalls that will force cascading cuts to critical services and could impede recovery for years. The package must clearly allocate at least $500 billion for counties, towns, cities, and states to ensure that local and state governments have the resources to manage the longer-term consequences of today’s crisis.
– Increased Medicaid FMAP funding to states. The federal government’s contributions to Virginia’s Medicaid program could be a lifesaver. At minimum, a 12 percent increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) is essential to address emerging needs, as is preservation of Medicaid’s Maintenance of Effort provisions, which prohibit states from dropping coverage or changing eligibility.
– Increased health care coverage. Testing, treatments, and medicines for coronavirus should be provided at no cost to all patients regardless of insurance or immigration status.
– Protections for essential workers. Future relief packages must provide health care, protective equipment, paid family leave and sick time, and more stringent safety protections for all workers, including state and local government employees. Any stimulus payments and protections must apply to all workers, including immigrants with Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers.
– Increased funding and flexibility for SNAP. Congress should include at least a 15 percent boost to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) maximum benefit and increase minimum monthly SNAP benefits to $30 to better equip Americans to feed their families during the crisis and in the economic aftermath. In addition, the Administration should lift harmful proposed rules that weaken SNAP eligibility, benefits, and state flexibility.
With sufficient resources, we can successfully meet the current crisis. State and local public officials are ready to work side by side with federal lawmakers to ensure the best possible future for all our people.
Sincerely,
Louise Lucas
President Pro Tempore
18th Senate District
Ghazala F. Hashmi
State Senator
10th Senate District
Dawn Adams
Delegate
68th House District
Jennifer Carroll Foy
Delegate
2nd House District
Cliff Hayes
Delegate
77th House District
Mark Keam
Delegate
35th House District
Clinton Jenkins
Delegate
76th House District
Mike Mullin
Delegate
93rd House District
Ibraheem S. Samirah
Delegate
86th House District
Vivian Watts
Delegate
39th House District
Neal Osborne
Mayor
Bristol
William B. Kyger, Jr.
Chair, Board of Supervisors
Rockingham County
Noelle Gabrielle
Chair, School Board
Norfolk
Jennifer McKeever
Chair, School Board
Charlottesville
Nancy Bailey
Vice Mayor
Big Stone Gap
Sal Romero, Jr.
Vice Mayor
Harrisonburg
Tim Williams
Vice Mayor
Damascus
Sandra Garner Coleman
Vice Chair, School Board
Halifax County
H. Fuller Cridlin
Commonwealth’s Attorney
Lee County
Jennifer B. Boysko
State Senator
33rd Senate District
Montgomery Mason
State Senator
1st Senate District
Alex Askew
Delegate
85th House District
Joshua Cole
Delegate
28th House District
Patrick A Hope
Delegate
47th House District
Sally Hudson
Delegate
57th House District
Jay Jones
Delegate
89th House District
Ken Plum
Delegate
36th House District
Don Scott
Delegate
80th House District
Carolyn Dull
Mayor
Staunton
Deanne Read
Mayor
Harrisonburg
Jeffrey C. McKay
Chair, Board of Supervisors
Fairfax County
Gunin Kiran
Chair, School Board
Montgomery County
Julian Craig
Mayor
Abingdon
Sena Magill
Vice Mayor
Charlottesville
Michael Sutphin
Vice Mayor
Blacksburg
Carlos Clanton
Vice Chair, School Board
Norfolk
Dot Heffron
Vice Chair, School Board
Chesterfield County
Stephanie Morales
Commonwealth’s Attorney
Portsmouth
R. Creigh Deeds
State Senator
25th Senate District
Joseph Morrissey
State Senator
16th Senate District
Betsy Carr
Delegate
69th House District
Nancy Guy
Delegate
83rd House District
Kaye Kory
Delegate
38th House District
Chris Hurst
Delegate
12th House District
Martha Mugler
Delegate
91st House District
Sam Rasoul
Delegate
11th House District
Shelly Simonds
Delegate
94th District
Alonzo Jones
Mayor
Danville
Robert Babyok
Chair, Board of Supervisors
Louisa County
Lowell Fulk
Chair, School Board
Rockingham County
Andrew Kohen
Chair, School Board
Harrisonburg
Gary Johnson
Mayor
Big Stone Gap
Chad Martin
Vice Mayor
Martinsville
Tina Vick
Vice Mayor
Newport News
Terry D. Fleenor
Vice Chair, School Board
Washington County
Diana Williams
Vice Chair, School Board
Waynesboro
Fred Parker
Treasurer
Washington County
Jessica Abbott
City Council
Virginia Beach
Richard Baugh
City Council
Harrisonburg
Mozell H. Booker
Board of Supervisors
Fluvanna County
Larry Campbell
City Council
Danville
Lori Deel
Board of Supervisors
Smyth County
Marcellus Harris
City Council
Newport News
Dave Jenkins
City Council
Newport News
Susan Mattingly
Town Council
Blacksburg
Andria McClellan
City Council
Norfolk
Ernie Reed
Board of Supervisors
Nelson County
Susan Seymore
Town Council
Damascus
Eric English
Chief of Police
Harrisonburg
Susan Anderson
Town Council
Blacksburg
Michael Berlucchi
City Council
Virginia Beach
Jennifer Bowles
City Council
Martinsville
Rick Chandler
Board of Supervisors
Rockingham County
Willie Gentry
Board of Supervisors
Louisa County
Heather Hill
City Council
Charlottesville
Christopher B. Jones
City Council
Harrisonburg
Barry Mayo
City Council (elect)
Danville
John McGlennon
Board of Supervisors
James City County
Mike Rush
Board of Supervisors
Washington County
Wayne Stevens
Board of Supervisors
Washington County
Stephen Lee Lawson
Town Manager
Big Stone Gap
Fitzgerald A. Barnes
Board of Supervisors
Louisa County
Mary Biggs
Board of Supervisors
Montgomery County
John L. Bush
Town Council
Blacksburg
Erik Curren
City Council
Staunton
Jason Graham
City Council
Fredericksburg
John Hirschmann
City Council
Harrisonburg
Perry Martin
Board of Supervisors
Giles County
Phillip B. McCall
Board of Supervisors
Washington County
Michael Payne
City Council
Charlottesville
Sherman Saunders
City Council
Danville
Rosemary Wilson
City Council
Virginia Beach
Keith Perrigan
Superintendent of Schools
Bristol
Beverly Anderson
School Board
Virginia Beach
Tanya Karapurkar Bhasin
School Board
Norfolk
Mark Cherbaka
School Board
Montgomery County
Vera Ely
School Board
Lee County
Megan Hamilton
School Board
Washington County
Lisa Johnson
School Board
Accomack County
Charlette McQuilkin
School Board
Rockingham County
Cardell Patillo
School Board
Portsmouth
James Sanders Henderson III
School Board
Washington County
LaKeesha Atkinson
School Board
Portsmouth
William Brannon
School Board
Washington County
Crystal Cobbs
School Board
Danville
Penny Franklin
School Board
Montgomery County
Dorothy “Dottie” Holtz
School Board
Virginia Beach
Charlena Jones
School Board
Northampton County
Jessica Owens
School Board
Virginia Beach
Leah Puryear
School Board
Charlottesville
Juandiego Wade
School Board
Charlottesville
De’Andre Barnes
School Board
Portsmouth
James Bryant
School Board
Charlottesville
Daniel Edwards
School Board
Virginia Beach
Tyquan Graves
School Board
Danville
Karen Jenkins
School Board
Suffolk
Rodney Jordan
School Board
Norfolk
Claude Parent
School Board
Portsmouth
Trenace Riggs
School Board
Virginia Beach
Costella Williams
School Board
Portsmouth
Kim Adkins
Mayor (former)
Martinsville
Catherine Brillhart
Mayor (former)
Bristol
Kimble Reynolds, Jr.
Mayor (former)
Martinsville
Tom Mendez
Chair, School Board (former)
Harrisonburg
Marty Jewell
City Council (former)
Richmond
Phyllis T. Albritton
School Board (former)
Montgomery County
Lauren Penrod
School Board (former)
Harrisonburg
Don W. Ashley
Mayor (former)
Bristol
Kai Degner
Mayor (former)
Harrisonburg
Jim Steele
Mayor (former)
Bristol
Elzena Anderson
City Council (former)
Wanyesboro
Ray Smith, Sr.
City Council (former)
Portsmouth
Diane Foucar-Szocki
School Board (former)
Harrisonburg
Karen Kennedy Schultz
School Board (former)
Winchester
Bill Beck
Mayor (former)
Fredericksburg
Edward Harlow
Mayor (former)
Bristol
J. Walter Tejada
Chair, Board of Supervisors (former)
Arlington County
Pablo Cuevas
Board of Supervisors (former)
Rockingham County
Kristin Layng Szakos
City Council (former)
Charlottesville
Dany Fleming
School Board (former)
Harrisonburg
R. Don Short
Commonwealth’s Attorney (former)
Louisa County
