U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Susan Collins (R-ME) on Sept. 21 introduced a bipartisan bill that would extend the airline worker Payroll Support Program (PSP) through March 2021 and provide a total of $56 billion in federal assistance.
“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,” Sen. 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 Oct. 1.”
Sen. Wicker sponsored the Air Carrier Worker Support Extension Act of 2020, S. 4634, with lead original cosponsor Sen. Collins and six other cosponsors, including U.S. Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC), Roy Blunt (R-MO), and Doug Jones (D-AL).
“The pandemic has had a devastating toll on the aviation industry, putting many American jobs at risk,” said Sen. Collins. “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.”
If enacted, S. 4634 also would provide $28 billion in assistance for passenger air carriers, cargo air carriers, and airline contractors; $11 billion in new appropriations; and $17.4 billion in funding repurposed from unspent CARES Act PSP funds and loans, according to a bill summary provided by Sen. Wicker’s office.
“It would also preserve our nationwide service by requiring airlines to maintain routes as a condition for receiving assistance,” Sen. Wicker said. “Maintaining a strong national air transportation system is critical for today’s economy and the continued recovery.”
Sen. Collins added that she is “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.”