Dear Members,
We are asking you to reach out to your representatives, and the matter is time-sensitive. We are urging House members to support additional funding for the CERTS grant program in the next Financial Services Appropriations Bill. While operators anxiously await Treasury’s implementation of the $2 billion, it is widely anticipated that there may not be enough funding to meet the overwhelming needs of our industry and others.
We need representatives to sign a House letter being circulated by Representatives Darin LaHood, Albio Sires, John Rose, and Alan Lowenthal. Their letter calls for additional funding for the Coronavirus Economic Relief for Transportation Services (CERTS) grant program in the upcoming Financial Services Appropriations Bill.
Because motorcoach companies were among the first businesses to shut down due to the pandemic, and could be among the last to recover fully, this funding is critical to the industry's sustainability.
Last week, GNJMA contacted our House members to ask them to sign a letter. Today we are asking you to do the same.
There are several ways you can do this, but here are the two easy-to-do methods:
1) UMA launched a click and sign a letter campaign last Friday, and you can share the link with your network. Here is the link to click and to share: https://p2a.co/tvGH4we
2) ABA drafted verbiage you can use when contacting your representative, either by telephone or in writing:
We are writing to urge support to sign on to a letter being circulated by Congressmen LaHood, Sires, Rose, and Lowenthal, requesting additional robust funding for the Coronavirus Economic Relief for Transportation Services (CERTS) grant program in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021/22 Financial Services Appropriations Bill for the motorcoach, school bus, and passenger vessel industries devastated by the effects of the pandemic.
This request is based on the $10 billion funding request originally in H.R. 7642 Coronavirus Economic Relief for Transportation Services Act introduced in the 116th Congress, and supported by 275 Members of the House of Representatives. The FY2021 Omnibus, Coronavirus Response, and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act funded the CERTS grant program at $2 billion. This vital funding was provided by Congress to assist these struggling industries to survive. This past year has been incredibly challenging for these vital transportation providers as almost all major sources of business and revenue have been severely restricted or eliminated by state-mandated closures – including school and sports-related travel, tourism, and mass public events.
We are encouraged to hear that the Department of Treasury staff is consulting with various industries, along with the U.S. Department of Transportation. However, Treasury has already projected that the program will be over-subscribed, with likely more than 5,000 companies eligible for the $2 billion in funding. It is critical that Congress approve additional robust funding for the CERTS grant program to help motorcoach, school bus, and domestic passenger vessel industries recover and return to full health.
The motorcoach industry plays an essential role in national and community transportation networks, providing vital services for large and small as well as urban and rural communities. We strongly support additional investment in the CERTS grant program for FY2021/22. Thank you for your consideration of this important request."
Here are the contact details for both the House and Senate Appropriations staff, sorted by state:
