AEM recognizes the immense impact that the current COVID-19 pandemic is having on our member companies, your employees, suppliers and customers, as well as partner sectors such as agriculture and construction. Our top priority is focused on ensuring the health and safety of our member companies, their employees, our staff, and our partners.
AEM is working closely with the U.S. Congress, the White House, U.S. government agencies, and state and local officials to make sure they take immediate steps to contain the spread of COVID-19, support equipment manufacturers and their employees and ensure the country’s economic resilience. As this rapidly developing crisis unfolds, we will share timely updates on our actions to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our member companies and provide opportunities for equipment manufacturers to share their experiences, provide their perspectives, and guide the actions of federal, state, and local elected officials.
AEM will send regular updates so that our member companies have easy access to the most recent information and are up to date on how AEM is leading the efforts on behalf of our industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additional information and resources are available at www.aem.org/covid-19-information-and-resources/.
Here are some of the latest developments:
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DESIGNATES EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURING AS “CRITICAL” OR “ESSENTIAL”
The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has issued initial guidance on “Identification of Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers During COVID-19 Response.” At the urging of AEM, the initial guidance ensures that “employees engaged in the manufacture and maintenance of equipment and other infrastructure necessary to agricultural production and distribution” is included in the initial list released on March 19.
However, this initial guidance largely left the decision on which industries and businesses should be deemed essential up to state and local officials. This is why today AEM sent a letter to the President requesting that the federal government designate equipment manufacturers, suppliers, and dealers as “essential” and providing state and local jurisdictions with a clear and consistent federal directive moving forward.
AEM CALLS FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS
AEM has called on Congress to provide liquidity to equipment manufacturers struggling through the COVID-19 pandemic. In a letter to Congressional leaders, AEM calls for a federal fund of grants and loans to provide much needed liquidity to equipment manufacturers, as well as a voluntary federal program that would provide equipment manufacturers with the flexibility to retain employees at reduced hours. AEM will also continue to work with Congress on a series of additional policy recommendations for how to strengthen the economic recovery in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
CORONAVIRUS RELIEF PACKAGES
Senate Republican and Democrats, joined by Senior Trump administration officials, continue to negotiate a massive $1 trillion-plus bill to rescue the U.S. economy from the growing coronavirus crisis. AEM is in close contact with the White House and key members of Congress to ensure that the final bill includes provisions that protect AEM’s more than 1,000 member companies and the 2.8 million men and women of the industry and ensures their financial security.
The first emergency funding bill passed by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Trump allocated roughly $8 billion for in new funding to combat the spread of COVID-19 at the local, state, national, and international levels. The second emergency aid package, which was a response to the growing health and economic crises, seeks to make testing for the coronavirus free to the public, establishes a federal emergency paid-leave benefits program to provide payments to some employees, boosts unemployment benefits, and provides access to meals for those without food security, among other provisions.
AEM URGES PRESIDENT TRUMP TO SUSPEND TARIFFS
In a letter to President Trump, AEM joined more than 160 trade associations and business groups in urging him to provide immediate tariff relief. The letter asks President Trump to suspend the additional tariffs placed on certain imports under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 and Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act. Additionally, AEM staff submitted a list of trade policy recommendations to the Senate Finance Committee. The feedback so far has been positive, and AEM staff is working closely with Committee staff to make sure they are included in future legislative relief packages or acted upon in the form of stand-alone bills.
AEM CALLS FOR INCREASED INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT TO RESUSCITATE THE U.S. ECONOMY
AEM and the other members of the Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC) sent a letter to Speaker Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senate Majority Leader McConnell (R-Ky.), Minority Leader Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Minority Leader McCarthy (Calif.) urging them to take immediate action on surface transportation reauthorization in order to stabilize and resuscitate the U.S. economy during this time of crisis. AEM also joined the members of the Beyond the Runway Coalition and other trade associations and industry groups in letters to Congressional leadership calling for an immediate infusion of capital to help meet airport needs during the COVID-19 pandemic and an additional $10 billion in Airport Improvement Grants (AIP) to help continue airport capital projects and programs that are currently under way.
AEM HIGHLIGHTS THE NEED TO MAINTAIN A STEADY SUPPLY OF FOOD, FIBER, FEED, AND FUEL
To help address and mitigate any negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the agriculture economy, AEM has been working closely with the United States Department of Agriculture on a series of policy recommendations that recognize the importance of equipment manufacturing, distribution, and service to the U.S. food supply chain. To that end, and at the suggestion of AEM, Secretary Perdue emphasized the role that our industry plays in the U.S. food supply chain in a video message released last week. AEM also joined commodity groups and other stakeholders in a letter to President Trump asking that any actions taken in response to COVID-19 take into consideration the impact on American agriculture.
AEM CALLS ON GOVERNORS TO ALLOW EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE
AEM continues to emphasize the critical role that the industry plays in ensuring the health and economic well-being across the country, and has called on governors to designate the industry as “essential” and allow equipment manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors to continue to operate. AEM led letters sent to all 50 governors making the case that “at a time when farmers are preparing for a new planting season, contractors are looking to build and maintain critical infrastructure assets, and utilities are working to keep homes and hospitals powered, we have an obligation to ensure that they have access to the equipment and parts, as well as the repair and maintenance services, they need to perform these functions.” AEM also joined Associated Equipment Distributors in a letter to the leaders of the National League of Cities and the Conference of Mayors emphasizing the significant impact the industry has on the economic vitality of communities.
SMALL BUSINESS DISASTER LOANS FROM U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Many governors have requested designations from the Small Business Administration (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Declaration in order to access the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. Once granted, the SBA will provide long-term, low-interest loans to qualifying businesses across a state. AEM is in touch with the SBA to emphasize the immediate and long-term economic harm caused by the COVID-19 on equipment manufacturers and urge them to extend financial relief to any state that requests it. More information, including how to apply for a low-interest loan due to the COVID-19 pandemic is available here.
For more information, got to aem.org.
