Hogsett calls Congressional gridlock on second stimulus package ‘unconscionable’

Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett on Thursday called gridlock in Washington D.C. that has stalled the passage of another Coronavirus relief package unconscionable and deadly.

During a press briefing on the state of COVID-19 in Marion County, Hogsett called on leaders in D.C. to work together to quickly pass legislation that provides relief to citizens and businesses grappling with the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said he wanted to “add his voice to a chorus of fellow mayors” from across the state and country calling for Congress to take action.

For months, Republicans and Democrats in Washington have been debating what should and should not be included in a second stimulus package as the virus rages on, reaching new heights in recent weeks.

In April, Congress worked together to pass the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act that enhanced unemployment benefits, gave Americans a $1,200 stimulus check and provided funding to local government that helped provide further assistance to citizens.

The city of Indianapolis, for example, received $168 million that helped launch a $30 million rent relief program, a $12 million grant program for businesses in the hospitality sector, provided thousands of masks to residents who needed one and increased testing capabilities.

But that funding has long been allocated. All of it had to be spent by Dec. 31 or the city risked returning what remained to the federal government.

In recent days, Congress appeared to be closing in on a $908 billion package, but on Thursday, the Associated Press reported that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is hitting the breaks, saying Republican senators won’t support $160 billion in state and local funds as part of a potential trade-off in the deal.

McConnell has proposed a five-year liability shield from virus lawsuits, retroactive to December 2019, but the bipartisan group working to close the deal was eyeing a scaled-back shield of six months to a year.

The AP reported that McConnell’s staff conveyed to top negotiators that the GOP leader sees no path to an agreement on a key aspect of the lawmakers’ existing proposal—a slimmed-down version of the liability shield for companies and organizations facing potential COVID-19 lawsuits—in exchange for $160 billion in state and local funds that Democrats want and that governors and mayors like Hogsett have been calling for.

For months, members of Hogsett’s administration have pleaded with Congress to do more, but on Thursday afternoon, Hogsett grew more critical.

“The gridlock and the resulting inaction from Washington has run the gamut,” Hogsett said. “Initially inconvenient, it quickly became baffling, then, frustrating. And then and now unconscionable. I am left with no other way to describe it other than deadly.”

He told residents looking for additional ways they can help fight the pandemic—besides masking up, supporting local businesses and social distancing—to call their Republican and Democratic representatives and demand action.

The pandemic has been particularly tough on bars and restaurants, which in Marion County have been operating at reduced capacities for much of the past nine months.

A $12 million grant program funded by the city helped some to pay rent and utilities, but a recent survey by the National Restaurant Association found that 20% of restaurants in Indiana have closed since March and that figure could get worse.

Thomas Cook, Hogsett’s chief of staff, told reporters that while the administration continues to work with the City-County Council and industry leaders to determine whether there exists local assistance that might be available to the hospitality industry, the city’s hands are tied.

“Ultimately, we are mindful of the fact that it’s a federal government-sized problem that’s going to require a federal government-sized solution at the end of the day,” Cook said.