NJ Democrats: We've Been 'Shafted' On Trump's Coronavirus Help

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — When it comes to help fighting coronavirus, New Jersey keeps getting "shafted" by President Donald Trump and his administration, said New Jersey House Democrats on Thursday.

That was the unanimous consensus from New Jersey's Democratic congressional delegation, who held a conference call Thursday with reporters highlighting what they say are the greatest needs as the state looks to slowly emerge from the pandemic.

(Ten of New Jersey's 12 Congress reps are Democrats; there are two Republicans.)

Their biggest criticism was with the CARES Act, the $2 trillion relief package that Trump approved in late March, which had the goal of blunting economic fall-out from coronavirus. It was the single biggest relief package in U.S. history.

New Jersey Democrats were not pleased with it.

"New Jersey, with the second most cases in the nation, was shafted once more," said North Jersey Congressman Bill Pascrell (D-NJ9). "New Jersey, which has over 50,000 (coronavirus) cases, received $18,00 federal dollars per case. Well, West Virginia has 500 cases and yet received $473,000 per case. Nebraska received $390,000 per case."

Pascrell said he could "go on" with examples.

"And there at the bottom of the list are New York and New Jersey, Michigan, Massachusetts, Louisiana and Washington, D.C. This is absurd," fumed Pascrell on the call.

"There are states with fewer populations that have made out very well," agreed Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, who represents the Trenton area and Mercer and Middlesex counties. "New Jersey got shortchanged, particularly on Medicaid reimbursements to hospitals."

"And New Jersey is a donor state," she said, referring to the high level of taxes New Jersey residents pay, which fund programs nationwide. "We're looking for equality."

There's talk in Washington of drafting a second stimulus bill, and both Pascrell and Watson-Coleman said they want to see more federal money for New Jersey in round two.

"We've been assured it would be more fair, and we're going to wait and see," said Watson-Coleman.

"It had damn well better go to hard-hit target states like New Jersey, and hospitals that depend on Medicaid," said Pascrell. "There are no excuses why this was ignored. We need more funding for hospitals."

Gov. Phil Murphy's latest idea, revealed just Wednesday, is to borrow money from the federal government to help make up for lost tax revenue due to the virus. If he can't borrow the money, Murphy warned New Jersey's sales tax and property taxes could go up.

"Obviously, the governor is very concerned he's not getting enough help from the federal government and now he's asking the Treasury to bond to cover the shortfall," said New Jersey's leading Democratic Congressman Frank Pallone (D-NJ6), who said he supports the borrowing plan.

"It is the governor's decision to re-open the state," said Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ5). "We just can't allow us to get the short end of the stick here with how many cases we've had compared to other states."

Pallone also said on the call he will push to make all coronavirus testing and treatment free.

"Free testing and ultimately, free vaccines," said Pallone. "All coronavirus testing should be free and any drugs you pay for it and ultimately, the vaccine. Otherwise people will not seek treatment and get this virus under control."

"I talked to J&J (Johnson & Johnson) this morning, and they're doing trials right now on a vaccine," said Pallone. "Ultimately, that's the real answer to all this."