WASHINGTON, D.C. — The COVID RELIEF NOW Coalition, representing major public and private sector groups across the United States, today launched a digital advertising campaign urging policymakers to quickly approve a new COVID-19 relief package that addresses the needs of businesses and workers who have been severely impacted by the pandemic.
The ads highlight the need for additional relief, noting the widespread business closures, layoffs, and precipitous decline in state and local revenues facing the American economy.
The coalition continues to expand, with current membership just shy of 300 different public and private sector organizations—emphasizing the widespread demand for relief legislation.
“It’s time for our leaders in Washington to put politics aside and chart a bipartisan path forward to help businesses and employees in the hardest-hit industries. Millions of jobs and the livelihoods of people who have built their small business for decades are just withering away because our leaders in Washington are prioritizing politics over people,” said Chip Rogers, president and CEO of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, a founding member of the COVID RELIEF NOW Coalition. “America’s hotel industry is on the brink of collapse. We can’t afford to let thousands of small businesses die and all of the jobs associated with them be lost for many years.”
“With millions of Americans out of work, tens of thousands of businesses on the brink of collapse, and communities big and small facing cutbacks in vital services, it is beyond time for Congress to act,” said the coalition. “As the economy teeters and businesses are facing an uncertain winter, we encourage Congress to act without further delay to minimize additional damage to Americans’ lives and livelihoods.”
Coalition steering committee members include the American Apparel and Footwear Association, the American Hotel and Lodging Association, Asian American Hotel Owners Association, the Go Live Together Coalition, the International Council of Shopping Centers, the International Franchise Association, the National Association of Counties, the National Conference of State Legislatures, the National Governors Association, the National League of Cities, the National Restaurant Association, the National Retail Federation, the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council, the Society of Independent Show Organizers, the United States Conference of Mayors, and the U.S. Travel Association.
