Following the Senate’s vote and passage on Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives today passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The bill now goes to the President for his signature.
In his press briefing today, Governor Cuomo again reiterated that the federal legislation will not help New York with its operational funding needs as it looks to pass a budget by April 1. He stated that the federal bill will provide funding to New York, which can only be used to cover healthcare spending associated with the fight against the Coronavirus. There is nothing in the federal bill to offset the loss of revenue that New York is facing from the current shut down. The Governor stated that this will mean cuts in next year’s budget across the board, but specifically cuts to education spending, which is the largest expenditure in the State. The Governor also stated that schools in New York will remain closed until April 15, a two-week extension of his original order closing schools until April 1.
The Senate and Assembly have yet to publicly weigh in on the proposed education cuts, but they are continuing to negotiate with the Governor to try to reach a final budget agreement by the March 31 midnight deadline.