July 20th, 2020 by WCBC Radio
Governor Larry Hogan, chair of the National Governors Association, issued the following statement today:
“At this critical juncture in our ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are five urgent priorities the nation’s governors need the Trump Administration to address:
“First, we continue to call on the administration to extend the public health emergency, which is set to expire this Saturday, July 25.
“Second, more than half of governors have already requested an extension of Title 32 authorization past the current expiration date of August 21. The National Guard remains a critical part of our public health response.
“Third, we are pressing for a 30-day delay of any changes to new hospital reporting requirements, which impose an undue burden on hospitals and state health departments. To demand these changes be made in a matter of 48 hours is unreasonable, and threatening to jeopardize life-saving supplies of remdesivir for not complying is unconscionable.
“Fourth, the nation’s governors and education leaders have appealed to Congress for education funding that prioritizes both learning and safety. We are specifically calling on Congress to prohibit any conditions being placed on relief funding that would mandate specific models of K-12 or higher education reopenings.
“Lastly, and most importantly, we continue to stress the need for Congress to pass a coronavirus relief package that provides the funding desperately needed by state and local governments. Millions of state and local government jobs depend on this aid.
“The president, vice president, and Secretary Mnuchin have all previously committed to support this funding, but there are growing indications that it is no longer a priority. It is crunch time now, and we are ready to work with leaders in both parties to get this done.”
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