Washington, DC – UMA Members in Maine and Rhode Island were instrumental in nudging the Congress one-step closer to a bailout package more suited to the unique characteristics of the motorcoach industry.
Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Jack Reed (D-R.I.) sent a joint letter to Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin, stating, “We must ensure that the motorcoach industry is still there for our communities when this pandemic has passed. This important industry faces a long road to recovery and requires immediate assistance that is flexible and meets both its short- and long-term needs.”
Senator Collins is the Chairman of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies and Senator Reed is the Ranking Member.
“We are so proud of our Maine and Rhode Island operators,” said UMA President and CEO Larry Killingsworth. “When the industry needed help, these guys rolled up their sleeves and went to work.”
The letter was similar to a letter sent last week to Secretary Mnuchin by House Chairmen Peter DeFazio and Richard Neal. DeFazio chairs the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and Neal chairs the House Ways and Means Committee.
“These are powerful and influential leaders weighing in on behalf of the motorcoach industry,” said Killingsworth. “We are most pleased with the bipartisan nature of the support and trust that Secretary Mnuchin is acting quickly as the industry is in need of immediate and long-term assistance.”
To date, nearly 8,000 UMA Members and advocates have sent almost 40,000 letters asking Congress and the administration to address industry concerns in lieu of the devastation brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
