Two days before Thanksgiving, 41 U.S. Senators sent a letter to the Chairman and the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Finance calling for CERTS grants to get the same tax treatment as other pandemic relief programs.
The letter, spearheaded by Sens. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, Robert P. Casey Jr., D-Pa., and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., spells out the many challenges the affected industries still face and calls for swift action.
“The CERTS Act grants,” the letter states, “while extremely beneficial, only replaced about 20 percent of lost revenue from 2020. … Many operators do not expect to return to “normal” business until sometime in 2023. Requiring these struggling businesses to pay back a large portion of these emergency grants in taxes will further delay their recovery.”
During October and early November, four U.S. Representatives rallied 89 of their colleagues to join them in calling for House leadership to exempt Coronavirus Economic Relief for Transportation Services Act grant funds from federal taxation. Representatives Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., Darin LaHood, R-Ill., Albio Sires, D-N.J., and John Rose, R-Tenn., led the effort over the past two weeks, and motorcoach operators across the country did their part, emailing and calling their U.S. Representatives asking them to sign the letter.
Their bipartisan letter garnered 93 signatures, including the original signers.
Earlier this month, the movement to act swiftly to exempt CERTS Act grants funds from federal taxation shifted to the U.S. Senate. The three Senators are championing the cause, which would give CERTS grants the same tax treatment extended to pandemic relief funds for shuttered venues and restaurants.
The following Senators signed the letter to the Senate Committee on Finance leadership:
Democrats
Blumenthal, Richard (CT)
Booker, Cory (NJ)
Casey, Bob (PA)*
Coons, Chris (DE)
Duckworth, Tammy (IL)
Hassan, Maggie (NH)
Hirono, Mazie (HI)
Kaine, Tim (VA)
Kelly, Mark (AZ)
Klobuchar, Amy (MN)
Markey, Ed (MA)
Mendendez, Bob (NJ)
Merkley, Jeff (OR)
Murphy, Chris (CT)
Padilla, Alex (CA)
Peters, Gary (MI)
Reed, Jack (RI)
Rosen, Jacky (NV)
Shaheen, Jeanne (NH)
Smith, Tina (MN)
Stabenow, Debbie (MI)
Van Hollen, Chris (MD)
Warner, Mark (VA)
Warren, Elizabeth (MA)
Independent
King, Angus (ME)
Republicans
Blackburn, Marsha (TN)*
Blunt, Roy (MO)
Burr, Richard (NC)
Collins, Susan (ME)
Daines, Steve (MT)
Ernst, Joni (IA)
Fischer, Deb (NE)
Graham, Lindsey (SC)
Grassley, Chuck (IA)*
Hagerty, Bill (TN)
Lummis, Cynthia (WY)
Rounds, Mike (SD)
Rubio, Marco (FL)
Tillis, Thom (NC)
Wicker, Roger (MS)
Young, Todd (IN)
Letter Leads*
