ASA members have been active on the advocacy front during the COVID-19 pandemic in support of various critical initiatives.

As of early June, ASA member companies had written more than 8,000 letters to their elected officials, advocating for essential business classification at the state and federal levels, as well as the recent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Flexibility Act.

In terms of the push to get the industry deemed essential at the federal level, more than 1,800 advocates wrote more than 7,300 letters to their U.S. senators and representatives. At the state level, more than 500 letters were written by more than 240 advocates to state legislators. In addition, 150 letters have been written thus far on the PPP Flex Act front. 

The Flex bill, which recently unanimously passed the Senate and was signed into law by the president, allows forgiveness beyond the eight-week covered PPP period; eliminates restrictions limiting non-payroll expenses to 25% of loan proceeds; eliminates restrictions that limit loan terms to 2 years; ensures full access to payroll tax deferment for businesses that take PPP loans; and extends the rehiring deadline to offset the effect of enhanced unemployment insurance.

“Since the beginning of the pandemic, ASA member companies and their employees have proven just how significant their voices in Washington are,” ASA Director of Government Affairs Steve Rossi said. “ASA members have made strong contributions to making sure our industry was deemed essential during the early stages of the pandemic — and they continue to make sure we have an influential presence in Washington on essential issues that are critical to all facets of the PHCP-PVF supply chain.”