Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Gary Peters (D-MI) will demand President Trump issue a national emergency declaration over the coronavirus outbreak, a Senate Democratic aide confirmed to TPM Wednesday.
The Democratic senators are preparing to send Trump a letter urging the national emergency declaration, Politico Playbook and CNN first reported Wednesday morning.
Politico noted that an emergency declaration for the coronavirus would permit FEMA to allocate $40 billion in the Disaster Relief Fund to state and local governments in their efforts to combat the spread of the coronavirus.
TPM exclusively reported Tuesday on Washington state’s wish to apply for a Medicaid waiver that would allow the state to give residents more options for where they receive care — but such a move requires a national emergency declaration from the President in order to be enacted.
