Cuomo to press Trump on reviving U.S. economy with
roads, bridges in White House meeting
Send a link to a friend
[May 27, 2020] WASHINGTON
(Reuters) - New York Governor Andrew Cuomo will press President Donald
Trump to invest in the nation's roads, bridges and rails during a White
House meeting on Wednesday as U.S. states begin to reopen after the
coronavirus outbreak left the economy in tatters.
Cuomo's visit to Washington comes as his hard-hit state begins to see
drops in rates of hospitalizations and deaths, while other states relax
lockdowns and partygoers flout precautions aimed at curtailing the novel
coronavirus.
The Memorial Day holiday weekend saw Americans flock to beaches and
lakes in large groups even as U.S. health experts warned that reopening
too quickly could trigger outbreaks of COVID-19, the disease caused by
the virus.
Twenty U.S. states reported an increase in new cases for the week ended
Sunday as the death toll nears 100,000, according to a Reuters analysis.
Florida reported a nearly 6 percent increase, while New York registered
a double-digit decline.

Businesses across the country are opening doors after shuttering in
mid-March as states and local governments took drastic measures to slow
the spread of COVID-19, almost bringing the country to a halt. The
economy contracted at its deepest pace since the Great Recession in the
first quarter and lost at least 21.4 million jobs in March and April.
With a focus on infrastructure as a way to revive the economy, Cuomo, a
Democrat, will hit a topic close to Trump. The Republican president has
long embraced the idea of updating the country's infrastructure.
[to top of second column] |

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo speaks inside of the New York Stock
Exchange after earlier ringing the opening bell as the building
opens for the first time since March while the outbreak of the
coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in the Manhattan borough of
New York, U.S., May 26, 2020. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Cuomo, who has sparred with Trump over the federal government's pandemic
response, wants to revive the economy by undertaking major transport and other
projects. He told reporters on Tuesday he would discuss a federal role in
investments to modernize the nation's bridges, roads and rail systems.
"This is one of the things I want to talk to the president about ... You want to
reopen the economy. Let's do something creative, let's do it fast, let's put
Americans back to work," Cuomo said.
Trump has said he believed infrastructure spending could help the economy
recover from the pandemic, embracing a massive $2 trillion plan at the end of
March. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in April that legislation was
separate from coronavirus spending and would have to wait.
States have sought more help from the federal government to get through the
crisis. Democrats who control the House of Representatives passed legislation on
May 15 that would provide nearly $1 trillion for state and local governments,
but the bill was rejected by Trump and Republican leaders of the U.S. Senate.
(Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
[© 2020 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2020 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content. |