Washington, D.C., may have a larger population than Wyoming crammed into 68 square miles, but the nation’s capital received less than half as much aid in the coronavirus relief package.
Several local leaders lamented the fact that the economic relief bill making its way through Congress allocates only $500 million to the city while each state gets at least $1.25 billion, a difference of $750 million.
D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson raised the issue with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer earlier this week. “It would be unconscionable to provide the District, which pays the most in federal taxes per capita, with the least amount of relief funding per capita of any state,” he wrote in a letter.
The Senate unanimously voted to pass a historic $2 trillion economic relief package late Wednesday, and the House is expected to take it up on Friday.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser agreed with Mendelson, calling the $500 million allocation “outrageous” and “shameful.” In a press conference on Thursday, she joined Mendelson, who said, “We are hopeful that the Congress will rectify this shortfall. Because this affects people. This is not simply a statehood issue. We are seeing people suffer.”
The funding allocation would give each D.C. resident about $700, whereas people in states with much smaller populations, such as Wyoming and Vermont, would receive $2,000.
D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine joined 39 bipartisan state attorneys general to demand more funding for the district.
“Indeed, as a densely populated urban center, the District is uniquely vulnerable to the spread of the virus and is already experiencing significant economic loss due to the ongoing public health emergency. The District’s tourism, hospitality, and restaurant industries, along with its world-class colleges and universities, are already suffering, as are small businesses throughout the District,” Racine said.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat, blamed Republicans for the lack of funding to the district during a Senate floor in which he claimed Republicans demanded Washington, D.C., receive a smaller relief package.
“Surely in a $2 trillion in emergency relief, we can do right by the people of the District of Columbia. But the answer I got back was no, it’s not a mistake,” Van Hollen said. “Republican negotiators insisted on shortchanging residents who pay more taxes than people in 22 states. Shameful.”
[Click here for complete coronavirus coverage]
Surely in a $2 trillion in emergency relief, we can do right by the people of the District of Columbia.
But the answer I got back was no, it’s not a mistake.
Republican negotiators insisted on shortchanging residents who pay more taxes than people in 22 states. Shameful. pic.twitter.com/fus3okWqgb
— Senator Chris Van Hollen (@ChrisVanHollen) March 26, 2020
Bowser called the funding gap yet another reason to push for D.C. statehood.
“Every state that has two senators was treated the exact same way,” Bowser said. “That’s why we have pushed so hard for statehood,” she said.
Washington has 267 cases of the coronavirus, including three deaths. Wyoming has 55 cases and no deaths.
