Action Alert: Press for Airport Relief Still Needed as Senate Negotiations Continue
March 21, 2020
Senators negotiating the next coronavirus relief package wrapped up last night without reaching a final agreement on what will be in the bill and what will be left behind to tackle at a future date. They will continue discussions this morning with the hope of reaching a final agreement today. Leaders hope to have a vote in the Senate early next week, possibly Monday, with a House vote to follow. Lawmakers will then leave for an undetermined period of time, so if we aren't in this immediate package we will have to wait.
With time still on the clock, we need your help again within the next few, critical hours to urge your Senators to include direct assistance to airports in the relief package being negotiated today. After numerous phone calls and exchanges yesterday with Senate and House staff involved with the discussions, we are concerned that a decision could be made to defer tackling airport needs and numerous other requests for help until Congress considers a future supplemental appropriations bill at a later date. As you all know, WE NEED HELP NOW.
We know many of you have already weighed in with your Senators and House members, but we need you to go back at them this morning to repeat the message that they must help airports now. As we reported on yesterday's daily call, there are a handful of Senators directly involved in the discussions. If your Senator is on this list, please take action NOW and have your state associations take action now to remind them of the critical nature of our request:
Senators negotiating the next coronavirus relief package wrapped up last night without reaching a final agreement on what will be in the bill and what will be left behind to tackle at a future date. They will continue discussions this morning with the hope of reaching a final agreement today. Leaders hope to have a vote in the Senate early next week, possibly Monday, with a House vote to follow. Lawmakers will then leave for an undetermined period of time, so if we aren't in this immediate package we will have to wait.
With time still on the clock, we need your help again within the next few, critical hours to urge your Senators to include direct assistance to airports in the relief package being negotiated today. After numerous phone calls and exchanges yesterday with Senate and House staff involved with the discussions, we are concerned that a decision could be made to defer tackling airport needs and numerous other requests for help until Congress considers a future supplemental appropriations bill at a later date. As you all know, WE NEED HELP NOW.
We know many of you have already weighed in with your Senators and House members, but we need you to go back at them this morning to repeat the message that they must help airports now. As we reported on yesterday's daily call, there are a handful of Senators directly involved in the discussions. If your Senator is on this list, please take action NOW and have your state associations take action now to remind them of the critical nature of our request:
- Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
- Senator John Thune (R-SD)
- Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL)
- Senator Susan Collins (R-ME)
- Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS)
- Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
- Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID)
- Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA)
- Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
- Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL)
- Senator Rob Portman (R-OH)
- Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY)
- Senator Dick Durban (D-IL)
- Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR)
- Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
- Senator Patty Murray (D-WA)
- Senator Jack Reed (D-RI)
- Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD)
- Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)
- Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
- Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ)
Again, it is critical that you follow-up over the next few critical hours to reemphasize the need for immediate assistance to airports. We can't afford to wait for the next relief package.
Please act now to:
- Communicate with your Senators that airport relief MUST be part of the stimulus package being assembled to address coronavirus.
- Tell them what is happening at your airport and let them know that you need help NOW.
- Tell them that we can't afford to wait weeks and possibly months to address critical airport operating needs, bond payments, and other challenges.
- Tell them that while airline assistance is critical, an airline loan program will not help airports pay their bills and meet operational needs.
- Please communicate these messages with your House member as soon as possible also.
If you need additional talking points or a letter template, please refer to the AAAE/ACI-NA letter that was sent to the Hill earlier this week.
Thanks again for your quick action.
