U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) introduced legislation Monday to extend the Payroll Support Program for airline workers through March 2021.
Wicker, the chairman of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, said the funding was necessary to prevent massive job losses in the air transportation sector.
“The CARES Act successfully saved thousands of jobs that support the airline industry and provided these businesses with some breathing space after the drastic drop in air travel caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Wicker said. “However, the market has not turned around as much as we had hoped, and additional relief is needed to prevent more than 60,000 aviation sector employees from losing their jobs beginning October 1. This legislation would extend the critical Payroll Support Program to provide support for passenger air carriers, cargo air carriers, and aviation contractors. It would also preserve our nationwide service by requiring airlines to maintain routes as a condition for receiving assistance. Maintaining a strong national air transportation system is critical for today’s economy and the continued recovery.”
Collins, chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies, said the funding would save jobs and ensure airlines maintain flight schedules.
“The pandemic has had a devastating toll on the aviation industry, putting many American jobs at risk. The Payroll Support Program that was included in the CARES Act saved over 700,000 of these jobs. Our legislation to extend this lifeline would help frontline employees to continue to receive a paycheck and require airlines to maintain flights to every community they serve,” said Collins. “As the Chairman of the Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee, I am committed to ensuring that all facets of our transportation network, including buses, motorcoaches, passenger ferries, and public transportation, have the resources they need to survive the current economic crisis.”
The Air Carrier Worker Support Extension Act would not only extend PSP for an additional six months but would also provide $28 billion in assistance for passenger air carriers, cargo air carriers, and airline contractors. Much of the money, $17 billion, would come from repurposed unspent CARES Act PSP funds. The remaining $11 billion would come from new appropriations.