Cuomo rips Senate's coronavirus stimulus bill as just 'a drop in the bucket'

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) is no fan of the Senate's coronavirus relief bill.

Cuomo in his daily press briefing on Wednesday ripped the new $2 trillion economic stimulus package from the Senate responding to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, saying it would be "terrible for the state of New York" because the $3.8 billion it offers the state government is far too little. He also said the $1.3 billion New York City would get in the bill, which Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) negotiated, is insufficient.

"That is a drop in the bucket as to need," Cuomo said, explaining New York is facing a revenue shortfall of up to $15 billion while swiping the coronavirus package as offering "quote-unquote relief." New York has reported by far the highest number of coronavirus cases in the United States with more than 30,000 as of Wednesday.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

The governor has taken his concerns about the stimulus package to the House of Representatives, he explained.

"We need the House to make adjustments," Cuomo said. "...I'm telling you, these numbers don't work, and I told the House members that we really need their help."

Later in the press conference, Cuomo again called the bill "troublesome" and reiterated, "We need more federal help than this bill gives us. The House bill would have given us $17 billion. The Senate bill gives us $3 billion. I mean, that's a dramatic, dramatic difference." Brendan Morrow