Res 1323-2020

By Council Members Brannan and Chin Whereas, SARS-CoV-2 is the virus responsible for causing the new infectious disease known as COVID-19; and Whereas, On March 13, 2020, President Trump declared a state of national emergency concerning the COVID-19 outbreak; and Whereas, As of the first week of May 2020, there were over one million total COVID-19 cases and over 70,000 COVID-19 deaths in the United States; and Whereas, As of the end of the first week of May 2020, there were over 170,000 cases, over 43,000 hospitalizations, nearly 14,000 confirmed deaths, and over 5,000 probable COVID-19 deaths in New York City; and Whereas, Governor Cuomo issued the "New York State PAUSE" executive order, that among other things, closed all non-essential businesses, effective March 22, 2020; and Whereas, The PAUSE order and similar orders in other states shut down huge swaths of economy, putting millions of people out of work; and Whereas, According to the U.S. Department of Labor, more than 33 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits over a seven-week period from mid-March through early May 2020; and Whereas, According to the New York State Department of Labor, more than 733,000 people in New York City filed for unemployment benefits over a seven-week period ending April 25, 2020, a 1,832 percent change compared to the same period last year; and Whereas, According to a Forbes analysis of New York State Department of Labor statistics for the week ending April 18, New York State's unemployment rate was approximately 13 percent, the worst rate since the Great Depression; and Whereas, According to the New York State Department of Labor, the accommodation and food services, retail trade, and health care and social assistance industries are the top three hardest hit industries in terms of number of unemployment claims filed, and these industries are also among the top four industries with the lowest wages; and Whereas, On March 20, 2020, Governor Cuomo issued an executive order declaring a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures for 90 days, and on May 7, 2020 extended the moratorium on evictions until August 20, 2020; and Whereas, This order does not cancel rent or mortgage payments; and Whereas, Average rent for New York City apartments is well over $2,000 per month; and Whereas, In April 2020, the New York City Independent Budget Office issued a report predicting that New York City could face its worst recession since the fiscal crisis of the 1970s; and Whereas, Governor Cuomo has said that New York State faces a $10-15 billion budget shortfall, and the State could be forced to implement 20 percent cuts to vital services like schools and hospitals if the federal government does not provide sufficient aid to states and localities; Whereas, On March 19, 2020, New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson proposed a coronavirus relief package, to be paid for by the federal government, including, among other things, temporary universal basic income payments of $550 for each adult and $275 for each child in New York City; and Whereas, On March 27, 2020, President Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, an approximately $2.2 trillion relief package that included, among other things, a one-time "economic income payment" of $1,200 for adults earning up to $75,000 annually; and Whereas, The government response to the COVID-19 crisis is rapidly evolving, and it remains unclear how a re-opening of the economy will take place, how long industries will take to recover, or how long people will be out of work; and Whereas, Americans, especially New Yorkers who have been the hardest hit by the COVID-19 crisis, need continued economic relief in the form of direct cash payments to pay for basic necessities like rent, utilities, and food for the duration of this crisis; and Whereas, On April 14, 2020, U.S. Congressman Tim Ryan, representing Ohio's 13th District, introduced H.R. 6496, the Emergency Money for the People Act, which would provide for the issuance of emergency monthly cash payments to every American throughout the duration of the coronavirus crisis; and Whereas, The Emergency Money for the People Act would provide a $2,000 monthly payment to every American over 16 years of age earning less than $130,000 annually, a $4,000 monthly payment to married couples earning less than $260,000 annually, and an additional $500 payment per child, up to three children; and Whereas, Emergency Money for the People Act payments would be guaranteed for a 12-month period, unless as of the end of the sixth month the employment-to-population ratio for people ages 16 and over is greater than 60 percent; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon Congress to pass and the President to sign H.R. 6496, the Emergency Money for the People Act, which would provide for the issuance of emergency monthly payments to every American throughout the duration of the coronavirus crisis. LS# 14437 5/7/20 12:18pm EOF