ORANGE COUNTY, CA—Congresswoman Katie Porter (CA-45) led a bipartisan group of mayors and councilmembers to call on House and Senate leadership to provide relief for Orange County cities. Under existing federal policy, only "large cities" with 500,000 or more people are eligible for direct assistance. Despite being the 6th most populous county in the country, Orange County has no cities that meet this threshold.

"Orange County is a special place to live, thanks in no small part to our first responders, our schools, and our parks," Congresswoman Porter said. "It is absolutely unacceptable that our cities are left out of federal relief programs for local governments. I'm leading a bipartisan push to call on leaders of both parties in Washington to get Orange County cities the help they need."

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, local municipalities are facing drastic decreases in traditional revenue streams such as sales and property tax. Without assistance, smaller cities will be forced to cut funding for schools and police departments, furlough or lay off workers, or raise taxes on families already feeling the squeeze.

Congresswoman Porter has been a leader in responding to the coronavirus emergency. On January 28, 2020, she was one of the first to bring attention to COVID-19 when she led the call for a Congressional briefing from the CDC. In a committee hearing, Porter’s tough questioning secured a commitment from CDC Director that testing would be free for Americans who need it, regardless of insurance. Last month, she released a report showing that mask and ventilator exports from the United States increased dramatically in the early months of 2020.

Read the full text of Congresswoman Porter’s letter HERE.

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