Issues
The U.S. House of Representatives Democratic leadership unveiled the COVID-19 fourth stimulus package. The House is expecting to vote on the package on Friday. The bill also makes changes to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), including expansions to the types of organizations that are eligible for the loans, specifically allowing 501(c)(6) business trade associations to…
The Washington Post reported that the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is decreasing the loan limit for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program from $2 million to $150,000 for small businesses and is blocking new applications due to the programs popularity. Congress recently replenished the EIDL program, however, SBA has been facing a backlog…
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released an early report on the estimate of motor vehicle fatalities in 2019. According to NHTSAs findings, there was a slight decrease in fatal car crashes in 2019 when compared to 2018. In the report, NHTSA states that they are still continuing to gather and finalize data on…
Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), the ranking democrat on the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, joined Politico’s chief economic correspondent, Ben White, to discuss the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The COVID-19 pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges to Americans. Over the past few weeks, many small business owners have applied for the PPP and Economic…
Last week the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued guidance on the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that would prevent businesses from deducting expenses like rent and wages that are covered with the loans from the PPP. The IRS interpretation is the opposite of how Congressional lawmakers intended it. U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Ron Wyden (D-OR),…
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is seeking comment and input from the public regarding reopening workplaces. Per the DOL: The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) invites small business and workers to participate in the DOL’s “Opening America’s Workplaces Again National Online Dialogue.” Through this dialogue, the public can play a key role in helping…
The Automotive Service Association (ASA) has joined America’s Recovery Fund Coalition, an alliance of more than 100 trade associations and business organizations advocating for a grant-based federal assistance program to power the resilience of American enterprise. Together, the Coalition’s members span 30 business sectors and employ 45 percent of the nation’s workforce – more than 58…
Per the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL): As the U.S. Department of Labor continues its efforts to support American workers and position the economy for a strong rebound, the department is hosting a national online dialogue on “Opening America’s Workplaces Again,” to solicit ideas from the public on how best to help employers and workers reopen…
H.R. 266, the Paycheck Protection Program and Healthcare Enhancement Act, provides an additional $321 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and U.S. Department of Treasury have been working together on the roll out of the program. SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin released the following…
The Automotive Service Association (ASA) joined other automotive repair and maintenance associations in signing a letter to the National Governors Association (NGA) regarding workers compensation programs. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, states are beginning to make COVID19 rules for workers compensation programs that could have an overreaching impact on employers and employees in a…