Washington, DC –Below is a statement by U.S. Conference of Mayors CEO and Executive Director Tom Cochran on President Trump’s threat to cut federal funding for cities:
“President Trump may believe this is an attack on mayors, but it is actually an attack on the millions of hard-working, tax-paying citizens who live in American cities. These cities are the drivers of our economy and places that Americans are proud to call home. The president’s outlandish depiction of them has no basis in reality. This order has no legal standing, but if it were implemented it would make cities less safe by slashing resources for police, firefighters, and first responders as well as other essential services. Families and small businesses who make cities their homes should not be used as a weapon in some political fight. This pandemic, a struggling economy, and a national awakening to the reality of systemic injustice in America all call for a time of national healing and unity, but this effort is intended only to inflame tensions and divide us. It is without merit, and it would hurt the people that a president is entrusted to protect.”