WASHINGTON, DC UPDATE: MARCH 11, 2022
WASHINGTON, DC UPDATE: MARCH 11, 2022
1. MUSIC Act / small business relief legislation
- Congress is finalizing its Fiscal Year 2022 omnibus legislation, which will fund the federal government through September 30
- Unfortunately, the bipartisan small business relief package, which included the MUSIC Act, was not included in the final legislation
- The bill was unable to secure the votes needed for inclusion due to (a) GOP concerns over offsetting the cost of the $48 billion bill and (b) supplemental funding added for Ukraine aid ($14 billion)
- Of note, President Biden’s $15.6 billion request for COVID-related aid was also removed from the final omnibus package
- ECA will continue to work with its Congressional champions on securing a path forward for the MUSIC Act
- Sen. Ben Cardin, Chairman of the Senate Small Business Committee, has already approached Majority Leader Chuck Schumer about moving small business package as stand-alone legislation
- Additionally, several MUSIC Act supporters are separately exploring options to add the bill to future Senate legislation as a bipartisan amendment
- Unfortunately, the bipartisan small business relief package, which included the MUSIC Act, was not included in the final legislation
2. Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) Reinstatement Act
- Legislation that would retroactively restore the Q4 2021 ERTC benefit for small businesses continues to gain momentum on Capitol Hill
- The ERTC Reinstatement Act has 67 co-sponsors in the House and 4 in the Senate
- Before it lapsed, the ERTC was worth up to $28,000 per employee in 2021 for businesses with fewer than 500 employees
- The ERTC Reinstatement Act has 67 co-sponsors in the House and 4 in the Senate
3. National Cleaning Week
- ECA partner ISSA – The Worldwide Cleaning Association is hosting its annual National Cleaning Week from March 27-April 2
- ECA is a National Cleaning Week supporting organization and encourages its alliance partners to add their support by contacting John Nothdurft at johnn@issa.com
4. Save the date: ECA Legislative Action Week
- ECA’s Legislative Action Week will take place virtually this year from June 6-10!
- ECA’s annual policy briefing and advocacy training session will take place on June 6, with Congressional meetings taking place from June 7-10
- Stay tuned for more details and registration information, which will be available soon
