Monday, March 23, 2020

NOAA Update on COVID-19 Advocacy for Industry

As the COVID-19 situation continues to impact both your personal and business lives, NMMA stands ready to serve as a resource to our members in the coming months as this crisis unfolds. To keep you informed on the latest developments in this rapidly shifting business environment, we will be providing you with regular communications from our advocacy team each week covering what the association is doing on the ground in Washington D.C. and state capitals around the country.

NMMA On The Ground

For the last several weeks, NMMA has been in constant communication with policymakers on the federal and state levels to stay up to date on the latest legislative actions surrounding COVID-19 and ensure the boating industry is represented.

Of recent note, this week, NMMA has been in contact with the White House, Department of Commerce, Department of the Treasury, and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative urging the administration to remove the Section 301 tariffs on Chinese imports and Section 232 tariffs on aluminum and steel as part of a federal aid package.
NMMA has also been frequently connecting with members of Congress and congressional staff. We have received direct updates from Problem Solvers Caucus leadership – including Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-IL-5), Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) – on the bipartisan efforts behind relief measures, along with two of the chief architects of the stimulus package, Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL). The members noted that Republicans and Democrats are coming together "thoughtfully and passionately" to ensure the country gets through this pandemic quickly and effectively.

Additionally, we participated in a COVID-19 briefing call with Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) on Thursday, March 19.

Latest Updates

The federal government has initiated three main phases in response to COVID-19. On Wednesday, President Trump signed the second legislative plan into law, which will provide relief and emergency federal aid for families. Congress and the administration are now working on a much larger $1 trillion relief package, which was release in its initial form last night and aimed at addressing the economic impacts of the virus on businesses. As part of this broader stimulus package, NMMA is working to ensure that support for small businesses is a top priority within these funds. More detail on all three of the aid packages can be found here.

Administration

The Trump administration released its $1 trillion coronavirus stimulus proposal on Wednesday. The proposed package involves industry-specific bailouts and direct payments to individual taxpayers. The administration's proposal includes:

  • $500 billion in individual payments to American taxpayers.
  • $300 billion for small business interruption loans.
    • Employers with 500 employees or less would have to keep paying employees for eight weeks from the date of the loan.
  • $150 billion to sectors that have experienced severe financial distress.
  • $50 billion to the airline industry.

Congress

On Wednesday, the Senate passed and the President signed into law the Families First Coronavirus Response Act—which is the second COVID-19 congressional response and focuses primarily on paid sick leave and individuals and families impacted by the outbreak.

Now, the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate are considering the administration's proposal and are rapidly working on a "Phase 3" stimulus package that would provide more than $1 trillion in industry-specific bailouts, small business support, and individual payments. While Congress is still drafting the complete package, the Senate will likely consider the measure early next week, sending it to the House for subsequent action.

NMMA is having conversations with congressional and committee leadership regarding the recreational boating industry’s priorities and is in contact with over 50 members of Congress who have long-been champions of the recreational boating industry. As part of our efforts to remove Section 301 tariffs on Chinese imports and Section 232 tariffs on aluminum and steel to protect American jobs, Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-FL-7) and Rep. Joe Cunningham (D-SC-1) sent a letter to congressional leadership requesting tariff relief be a component of the stimulus package.

NMMA is coordinating with marine industry partners to gather an assessment of the industry's impacts to ensure NMMA’s requests respond to the industry’s collective needs. NMMA has had discussions with congressional staff about a potential "Phase 4" stimulus package that would focus primarily on infrastructure – which remains a top priority for NMMA.

State

New York

Governor Andrew Cuomo asked private companies in nonessential industries to voluntarily keep all their workforce home. As of Thursday, March 19 Cuomo is signing a mandate that requires businesses to make 75 percent of their staff work from home, up from Wednesday’s original mandate of 50 percent. The initial executive order required nonessential businesses to transition to a workforce of 50 percent or less by no later than Friday, March 20 at 8:00 PM. Essential services include food and grocery stores, pharmacies, healthcare, shipping and supplies.

Florida

On Monday, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the activation of the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program to provide support during the COVID-19 pandemic. On Tuesday, March 17, the application process opened for small businesses that experienced economic injury from COVID-19 to apply for short-term, interest free loans. Up to $50 million has been allocated for the bridge loan program, which is managed by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO). The application runs through Friday, May 8.

Outdoor Recreation Impacts

NMMA has also been working with our Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) partners to develop responsible recreation guidance, which can be found on our website. NMMA is having ongoing discussions with land and water management agencies on closures that would help mitigate health risks for Americans recreating on public lands and waters. Further, we are providing updates on all agency guidance, restrictions, and closures on our response page.

Interior Secretary David Bernhardt recently suspended entrance and visitor fees for National Parks, national wildlife refuges and Bureau of Land Management sites in an effort to spur visits.
Resources of the Day

NMMA has launched a COVID-19 webpage to serve as a one stop shop for a variety of helpful resources for manufacturers, business owners, and the general public: https://www.nmma.org/coronavirus.

If you have questions, please email NMMA’s COVID-19 task force at taskforce@nmma.org.