Published

March 18, 2020

Share

Chamber CEO: ‘No family or business should go bankrupt because of coronavirus’

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Chamber of Commerce CEO Thomas J. Donohue issued a statement today following Senate passage of the "Families First Coronavirus Response Act":

“The Chamber applauds congressional leaders for moving quickly to pass a strong, bipartisan coronavirus response package that will provide immediate relief to American workers and families during this unprecedented time.

“We strongly urge the administration and Congress to now turn their attention to supporting America’s employers. No family or business should go bankrupt because of the unexpected financial hardships caused by the coronavirus. To help employers continue to support their employees as we navigate this crisis, the Chamber has identified three key actions: suspending remittance of the payroll tax, expanding small businesses lending and providing emergency loans to America’s largest employers.

“Our economy is deeply interconnected and nearly every industry across our country is being impacted by this temporary shutdown of commerce. If we are to emerge from these extraordinarily tough times stronger, we must come together now and help businesses weather this storm so they can continue to support their employees, customers, and communities.”

Earlier this week, the Chamber sent a letter to President Trump and congressional leadership calling for swift action on a series of measures to help businesses weather supply chain disruptions, support business operations, assist employees, and protect small and midsize businesses. Read the letter and the Chamber’s recommendations here.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is committed to helping American businesses respond to the coronavirus so they can support their employees, customers, and communities. Our members and the state and local chambers, who are on the front lines of this pandemic, need us now more than ever to help them through this significant disruption. We will continue working every day to help our country’s people, businesses, and economy weather this storm and emerge stronger—just as we have at other challenging times in our nation’s history. Visit uschamber.com/Coronavirus for more information.