GOP governor warning of ‘catastrophic damage’ begs Trump for $500 billion in emergency aid for states

When Colorado's Democratic officials begged for help from President Donald Trump during the coronavirus outbreak, they were ignored. When a Republican senator reached out to the White House, however, the ventilators the state desperately needed were promised right away.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) seems to be trying this tactic in his recent request to Trump and the Congress for an additional $500 billion in funds to states desperate for more help.

While the major part of larger oubreak thus far has been isolated to New York and surrounding areas, it is beginning to slowly creep into the rest of the country. As testing ramped up more cases were surfacing in the central and southern United States. But because they were late to receive their test kits than hard-hit states, shutting down federally funded testing Friday might mean fewer and fewer tests are being done when cases could be on the rise.

“Governors are on the front lines of the on-the-ground response, implementing aggressive measures that are beginning to successfully flatten the curve of the spread of the virus," said Hogan in a release. "The COVID-19 response is resulting in catastrophic damage to state economies, and fiscal assistance is critical now so that we can continue leading this fight."

He explained that's why he and the 50 governors of the US were asking for $500 billion in additional funds to meet any shortfalls they're facing as a result of the crisis.

“Without sufficient federal relief, states will have to confront the prospect of significant reductions to essential services, which will, in turn, devastate the economic recovery and our efforts to get people back to work," the statement continued. “As I have said from the very beginning, this is not a time for politics. I have spoken to the leaders of Congress in both parties about the need for this relief. We have asked the administration to weigh in so that we can break this logjam in the Senate and get this done for the American people.”