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Ranking Members Sam Graves and Garret Graves Statement on Speaker Pelosi’s Stimulus Package & Special Interest Giveaway

Washington, D.C., March 23, 2020 | Justin Harclerode (202) 225-9446
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Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member Sam Graves (R-MO) and Aviation Subcommittee Ranking Member Garret Graves (R-LA) released the following joint statement regarding Speaker Pelosi’s special interest giveaway in response to the COVID-19 pandemic:

“With a growing public health emergency and the American economy grinding to a halt, many Americans have lost their jobs already and millions more are at stake.  At this critical moment, the American people need constructive action from their government – not political games.  However, Speaker Pelosi is choosing to take advantage of the crisis and pursue their socialist and partisan political agenda.

“Speaker Pelosi has put forward a bill that is full of provisions that have nothing to do with responding to the COVID-19 crisis and helping the American people.  Instead her bill’s focus is unrelated handouts for her radical environmental allies and other special interests.  We need to stop the games and pass a bill that will provide immediate help for Americans and save jobs during this unprecedented crisis.”                 

Background Information:

A few examples of the number of jobs at stake just in the transportation sector while Speaker Pelosi plays political games with a bill needed to help Americans:

  • Mainline air carriers directly employ about 750,000 people and induce another 10 million jobs, regional airlines employ about 70,000 people, and ultra low-cost carriers employ over 29,000 people.
  • More than 1.2 million people work at U.S. airports.
  • Two million jobs are associated with the U.S. aviation manufacturing industry.
  • Public transit agencies employ 435,000 people and support millions of private sector jobs.
  • Freight railroads (Class I) support over 1.1 million jobs, while Amtrak employs over 20,000 people.
  • The U.S. waterways systems’ economic contributions resulted in nearly 256,000 jobs in 2016.
  • Cargo activity at U.S. ports supported nearly 31 million jobs in 2018.
  • 1.7 million workers are directly involved in designing, constructing, operating, and governing water infrastructure, including clean water and drinking water.

    Just a few examples of provisions in Speaker Pelosi’s proposal:

  • Requires all airlines to offset carbon emissions by 2025 – nothing to do with COVID-19.
  • Requires labor to have a seat on airlines’ boards of directors – nothing to do with COVID-19.
  • Rewrites bankruptcy codes to benefit labor – nothing to do with COVID-19.
  • Makes rejection of collective bargaining something that can be sued over in court for damages – nothing to do with COVID-19.
  • Funds an aviation Cash for Clunkers program at U.S. Department of Transportation – nothing to do with COVID-19.
  • Establishes new carbon emissions regulations for aviation – nothing to do with COVID-19.

     

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