WASHINGTON, DC – August 12, 2020 – The Hospitality, Travel & Events Recovery Coalition, which represents a broad spectrum of the businesses hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic, urges the Administration and Congress to resume talks toward reaching agreement on a legislative package that provides relief to such hard hit businesses and boosts economic recovery. With the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) now closed and the Main Street Lending Program barely functioning to date and with participating lenders reportedly applying traditional underwriting standards, it is more imperative than ever to facilitate support for businesses of all sizes.
There is strong bipartisan and bicameral support for relief solutions that provide direct assistance to travel, hospitality, and live events businesses. The Coalition recently endorsed S. 4299, the Sustaining Tourism Enterprises During the COVID-19 Pandemic (STEP) Act, sponsored by Senators Cortez Masto (D-NM), Blunt (R-MO), Klobuchar (D-MN), Cramer (R-ND), Schatz (D-HI), Sullivan (R-AK), Sinema (D-AZ), and Daines (R-MT) and H.R. 7920, the Healthy and Safe Travel Promotion Act, a similar bill sponsored by Rep. Titus (D-NV) and six cosponsors. The Coalition is also pleased to support H.R. 7735/S. 4344, the Entertainments New Credit Opportunity for Relief & Economic Sustainability (ENCORES) Act, sponsored by Reps. Kind (D-WI), Kelly (R-PA), and Boyle (D-PA) and Senators Tester (D-MT), Carper (D-DE), Shaheen (D-NH), and Coons (D-DE), as well as to announce its support for S. 4258, the Save our Stages Act, which is sponsored by Senators Cornyn (R-TX) and Klobuchar (D-MN) and 24 other senators.
The Coalition also believes there is support in the Administration and Congress for an advance tax credit that would help Americans travel again when and where it is safe to do so and therefore encourages support for S. 4031, Senator McSally’s (R-AZ) American Tax Rebate and Incentive Program (American TRIP) Act. Any genuine effort to jumpstart the economy must include efforts to support Americans traveling and attending live events again.
The Coalition also supports more general business relief provisions, such as an extension and expansion of the PPP, and S. 3814/H.R. 7481, the Reviving the Economy Sustainably Towards a Recovery in Twenty-twenty (RESTART) Act, sponsored by Senators Bennet (D-CO) and Young (R-IN) and 51 other senators and Rep. Golden (D-ME) and 91 other representatives.
There is no more important task for Congress during these challenging times than to pass another relief and recovery bill without constraint from artificial deadlines or other distractions and the Coalition calls on lawmakers and the Administration to return to the negotiating table.
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Contact: Greg Walden, gwalden@mwcllc.com