05.14.20

Durbin, Duckworth Discuss COVID-19 Impact with Illinois Municipal League

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today spoke with the Illinois Municipal League about the financial strains the COVID-19 pandemic has placed on state and local governments. On the call, Durbin and Duckworth discussed provisions in the recently introduced Heroes Act that would offer fiscal relief to localities of all sizes to replace the over $10 billion drop in state and local revenues expected by next July. The bill also proposes changes to the Federal Reserve’s Municipal Liquidity Facility to make it more accessible for a greater number of cities and counties. The Senators also spoke about their support for allowing state and local governments to claim refundable payroll tax credits to cover the cost of providing paid sick and family leave.

“At the federal level, we must prioritize the needs of our state and local governments if we want to ensure that our communities can halt the spread of COVID-19 and recover from the economic hardship brought on by this pandemic,” said Durbin. “I’ll continue to reach out to Illinois’ state and local leaders to hear directly from them on what resources and funding are needed to stabilize their economy and get working families back on their feet.”

“I was glad to get the chance to speak with members of the IML today to thank them for all they’ve done on behalf of our cities, towns and villages during these unprecedented times,” Duckworth said. “Senator Durbin and I are going to continue doing everything we can to help ensure that Illinois's communities—and families—have what they need to get through this crisis and begin to rebuild."

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