Friday, during an appearance on MSNBC’s “All In,” Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) argued for federal government assistance for local governments amid the coronavirus pandemic, which some have deemed to be a “blue-state bailout.”

Booker dismissed that label and explained that tax revenues were down for regions beleaguered by the virus. He also pointed to his own support of help for areas ravaged by hurricanes in the past.

“When hurricanes hit the Gulf Coast, so-called red states, Florida, I voted for massive resources to infuse into those states to help with their crisis, as we should,” Booker said. “Right now, in our state and a number of states, we’re in jeopardy of going into such a financial crisis that we lay off critical workers, ambulance drivers, firefighters, teachers, police officers. Think about this for a second. We are a country that quickly bailed out some of the biggest businesses and corporations we have. But when it comes to truly essential workers, a leader in our federal government has just said, you’re expendable.”

“Well, I’m telling you right now, that’s just not the case,” he continued. “If we do not get critical money for regions of our country, like ours, that are getting hit by a hell of a storm, greater than anything we have seen in our lifetime, taking more lives than wars take, and our federal government can’t step up for these families and communities who are being protected by those folks and served in essential ways by those folks, that is so un-American and such an affront to our ideals as a nation. And so this is going to be one hell of a fight, but there’s no way you’re going to sell out the workers who are doing the toughest jobs and putting themselves at risk, right when we need them, right now.”

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