Newsom: Trump unemployment proposal would cost $700 million per week
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KION)
UPDATE 8/10/2020 2:30 p.m. Gov. Gavin Newsom addressed President Trump's proposed unemployment plan and the abrupt resignation of a top state health official during a COVID-19 update Monday.
Newsom said Trump's executive orders on unemployment rely on relief money that has already been sent and used by the state, and he said the proposal would cost the state up to $700 million per week. Newsom said 75% of CARES Act funding is already going toward the COVID-19 response and covers school, health and social programs. As a result, Newsom said the state would not be able to afford the president's proposal without cutting important services and passing some of the burden on to businesses and residents.
Trump's proposal would reportedly require certification about work lost due to COVID-19 and would require the state to change its current system. Newsom said the proposal would leave out those with the greatest need and delay unemployment insurance checks.
When asked about the resignation of California Public Health Director Dr. Sonia Angell, he said he was thankful for her service and did not provide any more details.
The governor blamed a COVID-19 data issue reported last week on "large-scale IT issues" that have existed for decades, but said his administation is focusing on the issue. He emphasized that he did not know about the glitch that caused a backlog of testing reports until Monday night, after his weekly update.
When asked, Newsom would not say if he asked for Angell's resignation or if she resigned on her own. He would also not say if it had to do with the data issue.
PREVIOUS STORY: Gov. Gavin Newsom is set to provide an update on the state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic at noon Monday.
The update comes the day after Director and State Public Health Officer Dr. Sonia Angell announced her resignation.
According to the California Department of Public Health, there were more than 554,000 confirmed cases as of Aug. 8. There have been 10,293 deaths.
