Bill de Blasio, a Democrat, is the 109th mayor of New York City. James Brainard, a Republican, is the mayor of Carmel, Indiana. The views expressed in this commentary are their own. View more opinion on CNN.

(CNN) If you had told us two months ago that Carmel, Indiana, and some of its local businesses would come rushing to the aid of New York City, neither of us would have believed you. But that's exactly what happened this week. The City of Carmel, Aria Diagnostics and other entities jointly donated tens of thousands of locally made test kits for Covid-19 to New York, the epicenter of the epidemic. And what's more, a biotech company in Carmel will begin supplying New York City with 50,000 more for purchase every week.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio

James Brainard, mayor of Carmel, Indiana

All this happened because a Republican mayor from a small city in the heartland, and a new Carmel company, Apex, saw the pain in America's largest city and reached out to a progressive Democratic mayor to offer help. This is the very best of America. And this is what mayors across this country, Democrats and Republicans, need from our federal government right now.

Congress has passed three stimulus bills , with the most recent one providing limited state and local direct aid. It was a good first step, but not nearly enough. The next stimulus being debated has to do right by cities on the front lines of this pandemic. It has to make cities whole. Sales taxes across the nation are plummeting because people are staying home. Income taxes are falling because people are out of work. States are in their own bind, slashing services and support to local governments, leaving us to make up the difference.

All this while we're on the front lines of a pandemic. Whether it's Elmhurst Hospital in Queens or a nursing home in Carmel, our health care systems are valiantly working for the sick. Our firefighters, EMTs and paramedics are responding to a record number of 911 calls and emergencies. Our social services and charities are providing food and shelter to people who have lost their livelihoods. New York City alone is spending $170 million on emergency food.

And yet, all that is not enough. So, we only have one place to turn for help: Washington.

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