The following is a statement from Chip Rogers, AHLA president and CEO, on bipartisan legislation that overwhelmingly passed in the U.S. House of Representatives to enhance the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to help more hotels rehire and retain employees and keep their doors open businesses in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill contains several critical measures which AHLA has consistently advocated for to support millions of hotel employees, 70 percent of which are currently laid off or furloughed, and the tens of thousands of mostly small business hotel owners who are struggling to keep their doors open.
“The hotel industry applauds Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) and Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) who sponsored this bipartisan legislation, and thanks the House for swift passage of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to help our small business hotel owners who are fighting for survival.
“By extending the PPP and providing greater flexibility to cover other costs so hotels can keep their doors open, these enhancements will enable our small business owners to rehire and retain more employees.
“This legislation is critical for the hotel industry in our recovery efforts as it is one of the hardest hit industries, with hospitality and leisure losing 7.7 million jobs, more jobs than several other sectors combined. We urge the U.S. Senate to take up this legislation quickly to help put the hotel industry on the road to recovery, a major economic engine for driving job creation and growth across the U.S.”