Governor Mills, Labor Commissioner Fortman Statements on President's Executive Actions

Statement

Governor Janet Mills and Maine Department of Labor Commissioner Laura Fortman issued the following statements in response to the President's Executive Orders over the weekend:

"The President's Executive Orders raise more questions than they answer. With the myriad legal and logistical questions these Orders and Memoranda raise, the President's actions over the weekend appear to subordinate real relief for unemployed Americans to partisan gamesmanship, making Maine families a pawn in a cruel political game," said Governor Janet Mills. "On every White House call, the Governors universally call upon the Administration to support serious stimulus funds for small businesses and local and state governments whose budgets have been hard hit by the pandemic and for flexibility with existing relief funds. Asking states now to take on additional expenses is unresponsive to these needs and threatens important programs and services. My Administration will be seeking information today from the U.S. Department of Labor about these Executive Orders. But, fundamentally, Maine people need real solutions, not questionable, problematic actions. Congress must step up, put aside the partisanship, and reach consensus on a comprehensive coronavirus relief package that meets the extensive challenges facing the American people."

"The Maine Department of Labor is seeking further information from the U.S. Department of Labor and the Federal Emergency Management Agency about the President's Executive Orders," said Laura Fortman, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Labor. "Many of the details of the Order relating to unemployment are vague and include no information about how the program should be implemented or would work, raising serious concerns about the ability to deliver benefits to out-of-work Mainers in a timely manner."

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