Peduto: '$600 is not enough' to help families struggling during pandemic

Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto said he is “profoundly disappointed” that funding for cities and states was left out of the $900 billion pandemic relief package Congress passed Monday night.

“With the exclusion of cities from this stimulus package, our first responders and front-line essential workers who have worked tirelessly during this pandemic to protect our communities will be hurt the most,” Peduto said. “What this country needs is a comprehensive recovery bill like the Heroes Act that the House Democrats passed six months ago.”

The package that was passed reflects a bipartisan compromise, Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton, said.

It will “put money in the pockets of working families and invest vital dollars into vaccine deployment,” Casey said.

But the package is “nowhere near what must be done to address the full scope of our nation’s public health and economic crisis,” Casey said.

Unless more funding comes through — about $26 million is needed in Pittsburgh — by July 1, city officials have said there could be layoffs of more than 600 workers.

It will create a potential disaster for the city’s Public Safety workers, Director Wendell Hissrich has said.

City Council passed a 2021 budget Monday that avoids layoffs until July, but it’s a stopgap plan adopted with the hope federal relief comes through, Councilman R. Daniel Lavelle said.

“With expirations on direct protections for Americans looming, I am grateful for the relief that the package does deliver,” Peduto said.

The $300 weekly benefit for unemployed workers, funding for rental assistance and restaurants and other small businesses are parts of the legislation that are needed, Peduto said.

The expanded unemployment benefits are less than the $600 that was in the spring pandemic relief package. The direct payments of $600 to most Americans are also half the $1,200 that was sent out then.

“I am grateful that there is some relief for families, but those of us working directly with these families know that $600 is not enough to relieve struggling families of the devastating effects the pandemic has had on their livelihood,” the mayor said.

But the regional and national economies “cannot recover or survive without real relief,” he said.

“Economists have made it clear that a comprehensive stimulus will poise our economy for recovery, and it will save lives and our communities,” Peduto said. “I am confident that the new Congress and administration will revisit the commitment to direct relief for cities and pass an additional stimulus package that fully meets the needs of our country.”