Jared Polis Urges Quick Passage of Stimulus Bill

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis is calling on the federal government to move swiftly on an economic stimulus bill.

Polis, the first out gay man elected governor of any U.S. state, appeared Tuesday on The Beat With Ari Melber on MSNBC as the House and Senate tried to resolve differences on aid to workers, businesses, and more to offset the effects of the COVID-19 crisis.

He pointed out that Colorado, like many states, has a constitutional prohibition on deficit spending. "There's a hole in state budgets" that could lead to cuts in Medicaid, the joint federal-state program that funds medical care for the poor, and other programs, he said. What's more, workers in food service, retail, and other sectors have lost their jobs, he noted.

"We need the federal government to step up for the economic recovery to reduce the severity and the duration of this difficult time for people, both on the health care side and the economic side," he told Melber.

Colorado is not -- yet -- under a statewide shelter-at-home order to stop the virus's spread. However, Polis and the state health department have taken other steps, such as limiting business operations, banning gatherings of 10 or more people, and assuring that medical personnel and supplies go to the hardest-hit areas, The Denver Post reports. Some cities, such as Denver and Boulder, have issued shelter-in-place orders.