Gov. Andrew Cuomo will travel to Washington, D.C., on Wednesday to meet with President Donald Trump about the state’s fiscal woes and how the country’s economy could quickly rebound with investment into major infrastructure projects.
Cuomo suggested during his daily briefing on the coronavirus Tuesday that the nation could “supercharge reopening” by investing in infrastructure projects promised for decades.
"If there's ever a time to actually take on this overdue need of major infrastructure construction, now is the time,” Cuomo said. “There is no better time to build than right now."
New York, for its part, will accelerate two of its own major infrastructure projects, both in New York City: the redevelopment of Penn Station and rebuilding of LaGuardia Airport. Both are already underway, but Cuomo said they’ll now redouble their efforts on those projects.
He’s also asking the Trump administration to approve projects that would build an airtrain to LaGuardia, new tunnels under the Hudson River, and a new extension of the Second Avenue subway.
He said the same could be done on a national scale to jump-start the economy elsewhere.
"We know that government can stimulate the economy,” Cuomo said. “This country has done it in the past, where we have engaged in major public works that have made the nation better, and when we did it, it stimulated the economy."
The proposal comes as the state continues to reel from the economic consequences from the coronavirus, which is expected to drain New York of more than $13 billion in revenue over the next fiscal year. That’s on top of the billions of dollars spent to respond to the disease.
Cuomo, again Tuesday, called on Congress to help fill that gap by providing direct aid to state and local governments. If New York doesn’t get that funding, Cuomo has said he may cut spending on schools, local governments, and hospitals by 20%.
Democrats in the state Legislature are eyeing a proposal that could allow New York City to borrow up to $7 billion to cover operational expenses for the time being, but Cuomo appeared to question the strategy of that idea Tuesday.
“When you start talking about borrowing to pay operating expenses, this is a whole new situation. Normally, you borrow for capital expenses,” Cuomo said. “Borrowing for operating expenses is fiscally questionable.”
The bill is among dozens that the Legislature is expected to consider in Albany this week. Some are expected to make the trek Tuesday, while others will remain in their districts and vote remotely.
Those bills are expected to address several situations, like those of tenants and homeowners, who could face an avalanche of payments in the coming months. Another bill would provide a statutory mechanism for the state to reduce density in state prisons by releasing people.
The legislation will be approved as the pandemic appears to continue on the decline in New York, with a total of 4,265 still hospitalized as of Monday, the latest data available from the state. Of those, 1,002 people are still intubated.
An additional 73 people died from the disease in New York on Monday, bringing the statewide total of fatalities since the beginning of March to 23,561.