Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) represent different wings of the Democratic Party but they are on the same page when it comes to funeral benefits for coronavirus victims, especially in communities of color and low-income families.

Later this morning, they will hold a briefing in Corona, Queens, a neighborhood ravaged by the first wave of the pandemic, to announce $267 million in funeral benefits specifically dedicated for New Yorkers as part of the latest COVID relief package.

The money, part of a $2 billion nation pot of disaster funds program, will be channeled through the Federal Emergency Management Agency and low-income families must apply for reimbursement of burial costs for loved ones who died of coronavirus.

The two lawmakers will be joined by the Hispanic Federation, Voces Latina, and the Executive Director of Elmcor Senior Center as they push to get the work out on these funds and explain what will happen next.

“Families across New York, particularly those in communities of color … have already paid the ultimate price,” a spokesperson for Schumer said in a statement. “These funds will help alleviate some of the pain in being unable to afford or give a proper burial and funeral to a loved one.”

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