The U.S. Treasury Department must quickly implement the bipartisan Coronavirus Economic Relief for Transportation Services (CERTS) Act to help support specific transportation providers during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, wrote U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL) and more than 70 congressional members in a March 17 letter sent to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.
The CERTS Act, introduced by Rep. LaHood and U.S. Rep. Albio Sires (D-NJ) in July 2020, provided emergency pandemic relief grants to motorcoach operators, private school bus companies, and U.S. flag passenger vessel operators. Provisions from the CERTS Act were included in the bipartisan Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, which was signed into law in December 2020.
“Illinois’ motorcoach and bus companies provide important transportation services to communities across our region and offer good-paying jobs,” said Rep. LaHood last week. “To ensure that these transportation service providers are ready and available for Americans once the economy reopens, Congress acted in a bipartisan manner to pass this relief. That is why the U.S. Department of Treasury must move as quickly as possible to provide financial assistance.”
In their letter to Yellen, the members noted that America’s motorcoach, school bus, and passenger vessel industries have been greatly affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“These industries play an essential role in national and community transportation networks, providing vital services for large and small as well as urban and rural communities,” they wrote. “For example, the motorcoach industry recently provided more than 700 buses to transport National Guard troops to Washington D.C. to protect our nation’s capital.”
The past year “has been incredibly challenging” for these transportation providers as almost all major sources of business and revenue have been severely restricted or eliminated by state-mandated closures, according to Rep. LaHood and his colleagues.
“Unfortunately, indicators forecast that we will not be returning to normal operations for months,” they wrote. “To ensure that these transportation service providers are ready and available for Americans once the economy reopens, emergency funding for these industries is necessary.”