U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR), chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, applauded the latest version of House Democrats’ COVID-19 relief package for including critical relief for the transit and aviation industries.
The latest version of the HEROES Act would provide relief for aviation workers and funding to sustain public transit, Amtrak, and airports, all of which have seen passenger traffic drop since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The HEROES Act includes transportation-related elements like extending the Payroll Support Program, created as part of the CARES Act, to prevent airline industry layoffs through March 31, 2021; providing $32 billion for transit relief to be used for either operational expenses of capital projects; $2.4 billion for Amtrak to prevent service interruptions; $13.5 billion for airports, airport restaurants, and airport retailers; and ensuring that frontline workers in the passenger and freight transportation sectors get personal protective equipment and that stations, facilities, and equipment in those sectors are cleaned using.
“More than six months into this public health crisis, the Trump administration has done far too little to slow the spread of this insidious virus, and as a result, workers, families, and business owners across this country are suffering the consequences. Congress must step up with measures that help blunt the worst of this pandemic’s effects, from making sure frontline workers have PPE, to ensuring that even more skilled workers aren’t forced into the unemployment lines,” DeFazio said. “These are just a few of the many steps we must take to keep our country afloat during this crisis. I urge every member of Congress to support this comprehensive rescue package and put pressure on the Trump administration to do what’s necessary to help workers and families get through this public health crisis.”