'I dare you!': Cuomo challenges 'taker' McConnell to pass bill allowing states to go bankrupt

'You want to send a signal to the markets that this nation is in real trouble?'

In his Friday morning coronavirus briefing, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo doubled-down on his criticism of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's suggestion that states should be allowed to go bankrupt, daring him to allow it to happen, and demanding New York gets back what it puts in to the federal 'pot'.

For states to go bankrupt would require a federal law: "To the Senate ... I say, pass a law allowing states to declare bankruptcy. I dare you. And let the president sign that bill ... your suggestion Senator McConnell, pass the law. I dare you."

Mr Cuomo continued: "You want to send a signal to the markets that this nation is in real trouble? You want to send an international message that the economy is in turmoil?"

"We'll see how many states actually take you up on it. I know I wouldn't," he added.

Governor Cuomo remains incredulous that Congress has, to date, not provided emergency funding to state and local governments.

"When you don't fund state and local, you know who you don't fund? Police, fire, school teachers ... it boggles the mind."

He is particularly aggrieved by Senator McConnell's reference to coronavirus emergency relief to the states as a 'Blue state bailout' — a statement Mr Cuomo described as un-American, uncharitable and ugly.

"Bail out New York? You're not bailing out New York. New York has bailed you out every year ... Mitch McConnell is a taker, not a giver," he said.

Describing New York as a state of givers, the governor reiterated the fact that New York contributes more than any other state to the federal pot, whereas Kentucky is the number three state in taking from that pot, putting less in that it gets back.

Mr Cuomo is adamant that the system should work fairly for when those states that give more also need financial assistance.

"You're bailing us out? Just give me my money back, Senator."

As of Friday, New York has more than 263,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19, and 15,740 deaths. New York City counts for the majority of those numbers, approximately 150,000 and 11,544 respectively.

Preliminary results from a state program of testing for antibodies has revealed that many more people may have been infected with the coronavirus and recovered either asymptomatically or with mild symptoms. Those numbers indicate 2.7 million people may have been infected statewide, 1.6 million in New York City.