Action Alert: Congress Returns to Washington for Potentially Consequential September Session;Airport Input Needed to Press for Help to Airports and Airport Partners in Next Relief Package
September 8, 2020
Following a quiet few weeks away from Washington for the traditional August break, the Senate returned to session today, and the House resumes committee action this week. Over the next four weeks, Congress is expected to make critical decisions on a potential coronavirus relief package and attempt to keep the federal government funded and operational into the new fiscal year that begins on October 1. With lawmakers eager to return home to campaign in advance of November's elections, the next few weeks will likely be the last opportunity for meaningful legislation prior to the post-election lame duck session, and we need your help to have any hope of gaining additional support to airports in the near-term to address ongoing COVID-19 challenges.
Senate Vote on "Skinny" Coronavirus Relief Bill Likely This Week
This week, most of the action on a potential coronavirus relief package will be in the Senate, where Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has assembled a scaled-back proposal that he hopes can garner the votes of Senate Republicans. The so-called "skinny" package includes liability protection for businesses and health care facilities, $300 in weekly federal unemployment benefits through the end of the year, an extension of the Payroll Protection Program, and funding for health care, schools, child care, and the postal service.
Some Senate Republicans have balked at the $1 trillion price tag of the HEALS Act, which was unveiled in late July, and the new Republican proposal is expected to cost half that much, leaving hundreds of billions of dollars in initiatives originally included in the HEALS Act in limbo.
Unfortunately, the $10 billion in funding for airports is not included in the "skinny" nor has most of the other proposed HEALS Act funding across the federal government including tens of billions of dollars for the Department of Defense. The package also does not include an extension of support to the airlines for the Payroll Support Program that unions and the carriers have been requesting to avoid layoffs scheduled to occur on October 1. The imperative among Republicans to make the package smaller and more targeted is driving decisions even with proposed funding that has strong support.
Leader McConnell said today that the "skinny" will be voted on later this week in the Senate. The measure is not expected to pass since it would require votes from Democrats to reach the 60 vote threshold for passage. Instead, the bill is intended to give Republicans something to coalesce around and put pressure on Democrats to pare back their "asks" on another relief package. As you will recall, Senate Democrats passed a $3.5 trillion relief bill in May. Speaker Pelosi has since said that Democrats would be willing to split the difference between their $3.5 trillion package and the $1 trillion initially proposed in the HEALS Act at something in the $2 trillion range. Treasury Secretary Mnuchin, who is the lead negotiator for the White House along with Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, has said that the administration could support something in the $1.5 trillion range. But, talks remain at an impasse, and there is more finger-pointing than negotiating at the moment.
Time Running Short to Press for Help to Airports and Airport Partners
While it is difficult to predict how this week's Senate vote on a "skinny" package may influence discussions between Republican and Democratic leaders and the White House on the next phase of coronavirus relief, it is clear that we need to redouble our efforts to convince Washington that relief to airports and our partners must be part of any potential package. And, we won't be the only one's asking given the fact that the revised Senate Republican "skinny" eliminates hundreds of billions of dollars in proposed funding across the federal government initially included in the HEALS Act and with wide swath of other groups and industries seeking assistance.
If things do come together on a follow-up to the CARES Act, it is likely to happen very quickly as are decisions on what would be "in" and what would be "out" of the package. We need your help now in reminding lawmakers again how critical it is that the next coronavirus relief package include funding for airports and airport partners.
Please contact your Senators and Representative as soon as possible and ask them again to ensure that the next coronavirus relief package includes at least $10 billion to help airports deal with the coronavirus. Please ask them to also provide an additional $3.5 billion to help concessionaires and other airport partners, too.
Draft Talking Points for Communication with Your Elected Officials
Senate Vote on "Skinny" Coronavirus Relief Bill Likely This Week
This week, most of the action on a potential coronavirus relief package will be in the Senate, where Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has assembled a scaled-back proposal that he hopes can garner the votes of Senate Republicans. The so-called "skinny" package includes liability protection for businesses and health care facilities, $300 in weekly federal unemployment benefits through the end of the year, an extension of the Payroll Protection Program, and funding for health care, schools, child care, and the postal service.
Some Senate Republicans have balked at the $1 trillion price tag of the HEALS Act, which was unveiled in late July, and the new Republican proposal is expected to cost half that much, leaving hundreds of billions of dollars in initiatives originally included in the HEALS Act in limbo.
Unfortunately, the $10 billion in funding for airports is not included in the "skinny" nor has most of the other proposed HEALS Act funding across the federal government including tens of billions of dollars for the Department of Defense. The package also does not include an extension of support to the airlines for the Payroll Support Program that unions and the carriers have been requesting to avoid layoffs scheduled to occur on October 1. The imperative among Republicans to make the package smaller and more targeted is driving decisions even with proposed funding that has strong support.
Leader McConnell said today that the "skinny" will be voted on later this week in the Senate. The measure is not expected to pass since it would require votes from Democrats to reach the 60 vote threshold for passage. Instead, the bill is intended to give Republicans something to coalesce around and put pressure on Democrats to pare back their "asks" on another relief package. As you will recall, Senate Democrats passed a $3.5 trillion relief bill in May. Speaker Pelosi has since said that Democrats would be willing to split the difference between their $3.5 trillion package and the $1 trillion initially proposed in the HEALS Act at something in the $2 trillion range. Treasury Secretary Mnuchin, who is the lead negotiator for the White House along with Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, has said that the administration could support something in the $1.5 trillion range. But, talks remain at an impasse, and there is more finger-pointing than negotiating at the moment.
Time Running Short to Press for Help to Airports and Airport Partners
While it is difficult to predict how this week's Senate vote on a "skinny" package may influence discussions between Republican and Democratic leaders and the White House on the next phase of coronavirus relief, it is clear that we need to redouble our efforts to convince Washington that relief to airports and our partners must be part of any potential package. And, we won't be the only one's asking given the fact that the revised Senate Republican "skinny" eliminates hundreds of billions of dollars in proposed funding across the federal government initially included in the HEALS Act and with wide swath of other groups and industries seeking assistance.
If things do come together on a follow-up to the CARES Act, it is likely to happen very quickly as are decisions on what would be "in" and what would be "out" of the package. We need your help now in reminding lawmakers again how critical it is that the next coronavirus relief package include funding for airports and airport partners.
Please contact your Senators and Representative as soon as possible and ask them again to ensure that the next coronavirus relief package includes at least $10 billion to help airports deal with the coronavirus. Please ask them to also provide an additional $3.5 billion to help concessionaires and other airport partners, too.
Draft Talking Points for Communication with Your Elected Officials
- On behalf of _______, I urge you to ensure that the next coronavirus package includes at least $10 billion to continue to help airports respond to the coronavirus. I also urge you to provide $3.5 billion to concessionaires and other airport partners hit hard by the pandemic.
- Although the CARES Act is helping airports through the immediate crisis, we expect to face considerable challenges on the months and years ahead. Despite a slow uptick in recent weeks, passenger numbers are still down approximately 70 to 75 percent from the same time last year.
- With a significant drop in passengers, airport revenue continues to suffer. Meanwhile, airports are facing new operating demands and increasing strains on their outstanding debt.
- [Please explain how the coronavirus is impacting your airport - passenger levels, revenues, etc.]
- Congress can help by providing airports with additional federal assistance. The HEALS Act, which Senate Republicans unveiled last month, includes $10 billion to help large and small airports around the country. I strongly support the proposed airport funding in that bill.
- Getting more federal funds out the door and into local communities as quickly as possible would ensure that airports can continue to respond to new operational demands, pay for debt service on their bonds, and help keep their critical safety and security projects on track.
- Again, please make sure that the next coronavirus relief package includes at least $10 billion to continue to help airports respond to the coronavirus and another $3.5 billion to help concessionaires and other airport partners.
