WASHINGTON, D.C. — The COVID Relief NOW Coalition, a new coalition of more than 300 major public and private sector groups, this week released a new ad, “Economic Relief Can’t Wait,” imploring Congress to pass additional COVID economic relief during the current lame-duck session. The ad is running across digital platforms including Twitter, YouTube, Google, connected TVs, and other online sites.
“The election is over, and now it is time for Congress to do their job by prioritizing the many businesses and employees in the hardest-hit industries,” said Chip Rogers, president and CEO of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), one of the coalition’s founding members. “Millions of jobs and the livelihoods of people who have built their small business for decades are just withering away because Congress has offered no relief since March. These businesses will not survive until a vaccine is widely distributed. 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 years to come.”
In a recent letter sent to Congress, the coalition highlighted the millions of jobs, small businesses, and government services that are on the line. The letter stated, “If Congress fails to act, millions of employees will be furloughed or terminated; millions of unemployed Americans will lose their unemployment insurance pandemic benefits; hundreds of thousands of companies will be at risk of closing their doors forever; and the vast majority of state and local governments will have to curtail critical services in order to balance budgets due to a decline in tax revenue.”
Steering committee members for the coalition include: AHLA, International Franchise Association, National Association of Counties (NAC), National Conference for State Legislatures (NCSL), National Governors Association (NGA), National League of Cities, National Restaurant Association, National Retail Federation, U.S. Conference of Mayors, U.S. Travel Association, Society of Independent Show Organizers, International Council of Shopping Centers, Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), American Gaming Association, American Apparel & Footwear Association, Small Business Entrepreneurship (SBE) Council, and the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), and Go Live.
