NYC Council Speaker Rips Insufficient Federal Coronavirus Aid: ‘Washington Clearly Failed Us…This is Life and Death’

New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson tore into President Donald Trump and Washington in general for not doing more to help the five boroughs as the coronavirus brings the city’s health care system to its breaking point.

Johnson gave an interview to MSNBC on Thursday, which focused on how the health crisis has strained resources so badly that hospital workers are now being forced to wear trash bags to protect themselves from the virus. The speaker called it an “insane and heartbreaking” situation and said his “hope is that these images are haunting in some ways for our policymakers and leaders in Washington.”

“New York City needs their help now. We needed it yesterday. We needed it last week,” he continued. “It is insane that the United States of America, the wealthiest country in the world, and New York City, the wealthiest city in this country, you are seeing images of nurses in garbage bags and you see hospitals getting overrun, and we are nowhere near the apex.”

Johnson turned up the heat even further when he said “Washington has clearly failed us” and ripped Trump for saying he doesn’t take responsibility for the situation. In terms of the federal assistance New York has received, Johnson called it “a trickle” that has not provided enough essential medical supplies.

“This is life and death. It’s life and death for COVID-19 patients, but it’s also life and death for the health care workers and professionals that are on the front line, that are exposed to this every single day in an overrun hospital setting, and we need to get them the help they need. I hope folks in Washington are seeing these images. I’m glad that docs and nurses are sharing their stories because America needs to know this, the world needs to know this.”

Even though Johnson acknowledged that the Senate unanimously passed a $2 trillion stimulus package in an effort to stabilize the country, he seemed to suggest it wouldn’t be enough for New York, saying “we have seen a gigantic hole blown in our city’s budget.”

Watch above, via MSNBC.