ABA remains extremely active addressing both industry-wide as well as individual company challenges brought on by the Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic. This advocacy has included continuous communication with federal and state policymakers including an aggressive agenda before Congress, but we need your help.
Congress is entering the home stretch before it adjourns for the summer season. The first draft of the fourth, and likely final, COVID relief package will be released next week. It will be the last opportunity for Congress to move COVID relief before the November election. Unlike the previous COVID relief packages, which passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, this package will be much closer. The next three weeks are the whole ball game.
Given the deeply polarized, partisan environment in Washington, we need a very strong final push by the industry to be successful. ABA has several key priorities we would like to achieve in the final COVID package, including:
Liability Protection
As outrageous as is seems, the trial lawyers are chopping at the bit to pursue legal action against critical infrastructure companies like bakers. To date, almost 4,000 lawsuits have been filed or are waiting to be filed. These lawsuits will attack the necessary decisions that you had to make during the pandemic to keep the food supply chain operational. ABA demands that limited liability protection from these frivolous lawsuits be included in the package and Senator Majority Leader McConnell absolutely agrees. Please urge Congress to protect your company from frivolous lawsuits.
SupportourCOVID-19Heroes
ABA is aggressively working to reward and incentivize the baking industry’s front-line employees who have performed heroically during the COVID pandemic. Our proposed payroll tax relief would provide a strong financial benefit to your employees, recognizing their critical role in feeding the country. Supporting and sharing these proposed initiatives is a great way for you to engage with and show appreciation for your employees. We also are quietly encouraging Congress to consider more targeted unemployment benefits to not hinder your ability to staff facilities.
There are two complementary proposals in the Senate and the House.
TaxReliefProvisions
Additionally, ABA is supporting Congressional efforts to provide targeted tax benefits for costs associated with perishable food and beverages that went or will go out of code during the COVID pandemic; clarifying tax benefits for hiring employees during the pandemic; other tax benefits for bakers and food manufacturers. We will share more details as they become available.
Multi-employerPensionRelief
The package may also include a package of reforms to address the vexing issue of multi-employer pension unfunded liability. There may be an opportunity to include a compromise between competing versions from the House and the Senate. This situation is very fluid, but ABA is actively engaged. Again, should momentum to include this reform in the COVID package, ABA will activate our Rise to Action Grassroots Action Center.
Please continue to use Rise to Action as your go-to resource for communicating with members of Congress. They want to hear from you on these issues and other challenges you may face.
Thank you, ABA Members, for your help. Please reach out with any questions or if ABA can help you with any challenges you are facing.
