On Sunday Governor Andrew Cuomo pushed back against executive orders signed by President Donald Trump, calling them ‘laughable’ as the state faces a growing financial crisis.
The state faces a multi-billion-dollar deficit, and has been waiting for the federal government to respond with a package of funds that help the state and local government stay afloat. That said, the executive orders stopped short of instituting that kind of spending.
Partly due to the fact that the president has limited spending authority. Congress has failed to come together on a package of relief measures, and at the end of the week – President Trump took matters into his own hands – signing an order to address unemployment, rent relief, and student loans.
However, some say that the President went too far, and that his executive order carries little weight.
“It’s on shaky ground legally, but even to the executed executive orders, they aren’t going to meet the demand,” Cuomo said on Sunday.
“It’s just an additional failure in a series of failures in handling this COVID crisis,” Cuomo added. “My advice is when you’re in a hole, stop digging.”
The budget deficit could force cuts of up to 20 percent for schools, health care programs, and local governments if funding is not passed down from the federal government.
In the meantime, Congress appears unable to move forward or find common ground on a relief package that addresses all issues.
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