Statement on Trump’s Unlawful Threat Against Seattle’s Federal Funding
SEATTLE — United States Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) issued the following statement tonight after President Donald Trump issued a memo that unlawfully threatens Seattle’s federal funding:
“First, Donald Trump and his administration threatened to terrorize our Seattle community by unnecessarily deploying federal agents to our streets. Now, the Trump Administration is doubling down on its politicized attacks by threatening our federal funding altogether. This is not just unlawful but it is also a prime example of this president’s failed leadership and obvious desperation.
“Instead of levying partisan attacks at cities across the country and attacking those powerfully protesting police brutality, this president should be focused on attacking COVID-19 and the devastating economic crisis we now face with millions having lost their jobs, housing and health care. Instead of standing idly by as more than 6.1 million people have tested positive and at least 186,600 people have already died because of his inaction, he should be focused on investing in a national testing and contact tracing strategy. Instead of cutting unemployment benefits and passing shallow executive orders that do nothing to provide real relief to people across America, he should be working with Congress to immediately pass a substantial relief package that meets the scale of this crisis.
“Amidst this historic devastation, people in Seattle, throughout Washington and across America need more federal funding—not less. Yet this president and Republicans in Congress would prefer to turn your attention away from these real crises by fearmongering and fanning racism. Republicans have sat on their hands for more than three months as existing relief—from the $600 a week of expanded unemployment assistance to eviction moratoriums—expired and families continue to face unprecedented tragedy.
“Join me in demanding better from this president. Join me in calling on him to stop inciting violence and threatening to cut funds to cities. Join me in telling him to focus on getting real relief to people. We have a proud tradition in Seattle of protesting injustice. We’re not going to get distracted by threats from a lawless president and his corrupt administration.”
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Issues: Jobs, Labor, & the Economy