State lawmakers adjourn special session after passing COVID-19 relief package
FGGAM MEDIA CENTER received this press release from the NM GOP House
Minor glimpse of bipartisanship led by House Republicans
Santa Fe – House Bill 1, the 2nd 2020 Special Session Coronavirus Relief bill, still leaves much to be desired, however consideration given to House Republican concerns signaled a rare moment of bipartisanship. House Republican efforts in negotiating and drafting of amendments produced a unique opportunity for across-the-aisle support in changing language that improved the bill. In addition, House Republicans welcomed changes that included provisions which delivered federal CARES Act funds to New Mexicans who had originally been ignored, such as single individual owned businesses and veterans’ organizations.
“I have said from the beginning that we cannot afford any more temporary fixes during this pandemic, we need to make certain permanent relief is provided to New Mexicans who are desperate for help,” said House Republican Leader Jim Townsend. “I am hopeful that House Republicans will continue to have a seat at the table to address this out of control crisis.”
House Republicans, while pleased at the rare instance of bipartisanship, still took a hard look at how New Mexico should respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The people of New Mexico have endured and continue to follow “shelter-in-place” mandates which are some of the toughest restrictions in the nation, yet we are also seeing some of the highest virus spread in the nation.
“It is unfortunate that House Democrats refused to hear our proposal in House Bill 2, to reign in the Governor’s authority. This administration governs by crisis, with the Governor only calling together our Legislature only when it becomes clear that her decisions have harmed New Mexico workers and businesses, and when she feels the need to share the blame,” said House Republican Whip Rod Montoya. “For nearly eight months, the Governor has acted on her own in response to the COVID crisis. Despite her failures, we came into this special session to address the underlying economic issues created by her response to the pandemic.”
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From GOP Chairman Steve Pearce:
“It’s imperative that New Mexico provide these funds to its residents who are hurting, suffering and in desperate need of help due to the pandemic,” said Republican Party of New Mexico Chairman Steve Pearce. “This assistance will help for a while, but the legislation is simply too little too late. There’s never been a long-term strategy to get New Mexicans and their businesses back on their feet. The governor’s lockdowns and random decisions continue to kill our economy, and New Mexico’s virus rates are still among the worst in the nation. The governor’s Administration has never seen the big picture.”
PRAY TEAM JESUS! More Than 50 Million Americans Face Hunger
We need to pull together, I pray the division in America will come to an end. It was Benjamin Franklin that said “We must all hang together, or … we shall all hang separately.” We are a very hurting nation, if you have food on your table you are so very blessed.
In New Mexico, 315,990 people are struggling with hunger – and of them 114,180 are children. I am so very thankful for all the folks in the state working to feed those in need. In Reserve, where I serve at the First Baptist Church, the community has an excellent Food Bank! According to several indicators by the national 2020 Kids Count Data Book, New Mexico still ranks 50th in the nation on child well–being. New Mexico has now ranked at the very bottom of the list for the fourth year for child well–being after ranking 50th in 2013, 2018, and 2019.
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