Biden Meets With Mayors and Governors on Need to Pass $1.9 Trillion Stimulus

President Joe Biden invited governors and mayors to the White House Friday in a push to give financial relief to state and local governments — a clear source of division with Republican lawmakers who view the spending as wasteful.

As part of a $1.9 trillion coronavirus package, Biden wants to send $350 billion to state and local governments and tribal governments. While Republicans in Congress have largely objected to this initiative, his push at the state and local level is uniquely bipartisan with Republican governors and mayors.

"These folks are all on the front lines," the president said. "They have been left on their own in many cases."

The COVID-19 relief package being crafted in House committees this week includes $350 billion for state and local governments and tribal governments.

Every state and the District of Columbia would get at least $500 million, but most of the money going to states would be distributed based on its share of unemployed workers nationally.

Local governments would also get $130.2 billion and tribal governments would get $20 billion.

The money can be used to cover costs incurred because of the pandemic, lost revenue and to address the negative economic impacts of the disease.

Congress also provided $150 billion in direct assistance to state and local governments in an earlier relief package signed into law last March.

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