WASHINGTON, D.C. — The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) released a statement on Tuesday from its president and CEO, Chip Rogers, on the stalled negotiations surrounding additional COVID relief legislation.
“This is unacceptable and inconceivable with millions of Americans out of work and thousands of small businesses barely hanging on,” Rogers said in the statement. “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. 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.”
The statement follows the formation of “COVID Relief Now,” a new coalition of more than 230 public and private sector groups, including AHLA, which is a founding member. Since its launch last week, the coalition has taken several measures to implore Congress to not leave town for the 2020 elections without passing additional COVID economic relief. This week, the group released a new ad, “No Recess without Relief,” that began running across digital platforms.
In addition to AHLA, founding members of “COVID Relief Now” include Airlines for America, International Franchise Association, National Association of Counties, National Conference for State Legislatures, National Governors Association, National League of Cities, National Restaurant Association, National Retail Federation, U.S. Conference of Mayors, and the U.S Travel Association.
