在周四致国会的信中,美国商会敦促议员不要通过与冠状病毒有关的经济救济法案,这些法案是“针对情况而制定的”。信中特别提到受冠状病毒感染者的带薪病假问题。
众议院民主党人昨天将带薪病假纳入其财务建议书。如果通过,雇主不仅将允许雇员在公共卫生紧急事件之前最多累积7个带薪病假,而且雇主将被要求“另外提供14天带薪病假,该假可在任何公共卫生突发事件的开始,包括当前的危机。”
美国商会在信中表示,当前的冠状病毒爆发“不应作为试图通过立法的机会,该立法针对情况不适合,也不会签署成为法律。”
信继续说:“特别是,我们认识到有必要解决与带薪病假有关的更大问题。” “这项紧急法案不应该为雇主制定联邦制,万能的永久性休假规定。那些长期问题应在单独的立法中解决,我们将为寻求解决该问题的方法提供帮助。”
《新闻周刊》联系了商会征求意见,但未及时收到答复以将其发表。
参议院多数党领袖米奇•麦康奈尔(Mitch McConnell)在星期四向参议院发表讲话时表示反对民主党的提议,称其为“不符合当时情况的意识形态愿望清单”。
麦康奈尔说:“与其在现有法律和现有系统内合作,以尽可能有效地提供有针对性的救济,发言人的提议将成为新官僚机构不必要的灌木丛。”
在星期三的新闻发布会上,参议院少数党领袖查克·舒默为民主党的提议辩护,他说,这些提议“针对的是人,而不是大公司。”
舒默说:“总统似乎比美国人的健康更担心大银行的健康。” “与帮助因电晕而失业的人相比,总统似乎更渴望帮助石油公司。我们认为这样做不起作用。”
舒默补充说:“我们是在告诉特朗普总统,我们是在向美国说:解决经济问题的最佳方法是集中于遭受这种病毒的人。”白宫的思想家可能会想要。”
白宫的提议包括为雇主和雇员削减工资税。自从工资税为医疗保险和社会保障基金提供资金以来,一些民主党人声称,这种想法对公司有更大的好处。
特朗普还呼吁推迟对受冠状病毒爆发影响的一些个人和公司纳税。
白宫周三发表声明说:“此举将为经济提供超过2,000亿美元的额外流动性。”
还被要求国会批准增加500亿美元的资金,供小型企业管理局(Small Business Administration)为受冠状病毒影响的企业提供贷款。
House Democrats included paid sick leave in their financial proposal package yesterday. If passed, not only would employers allow employees to accrue up to 7 paid sick days that could be used before a public health emergency, but employers would be required to "provide a separate amount of 14 days of paid sick leave that is immediately available at the beginning of any public health emergency, including in the current crisis."
In its letter, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said the current coronavirus outbreak "should not be used as an opportunity to try to pass legislation that is poorly tailored to the situation and will not be signed into law."
"In particular, we recognize the need to address the larger issues related to paid sick leave," the letter continued. "This emergency bill should not create a federal, one-size-fits-all, permanent leave mandate on employers. Those are longer term issues that should be addressed in separate legislation, and we intend to be helpful in seeking a solution to that issue."
Newsweek reached out to the Chamber for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell voiced his opposition to the Democratic proposals while speaking to the Senate Thursday, calling it "an ideological wish list that was not tailored closely to the circumstances."
"Instead of working within existing law and within existing systems to deliver targeted relief as efficiently and effectively as possible," McConnell said, "the speaker's proposal would stand up a needless thicket of new bureaucracy."
At a Wednesday press conference, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer defended the Democrat's proposals which he said were "aimed at people, not at big corporations."
"The president seems to be more worried about the health of the big banks than the health of Americans," Schumer said. "It seems that the president is more eager to help the oil companies than help the person who lost his job because of corona. We don't believe that works."
"We're telling President Trump, and we're saying to the country: the best way to deal with the economic problems is to focus on the people who have suffered from this virus," Schumer added, "not some scattershot approach that the ideologues in the White House may want."
Proposals from the White House include a payroll tax cut for both employers and employees. Since payroll taxes fund both Medicare and Social Security, some Democrats have claimed that idea has greater benefits for companies.
Trump has also called for the deferment of tax payments for some individuals and companies that have been affected by the coronavirus outbreak.
"This action will provide more than $200 billion of additional liquidity to the economy," said a Wednesday statement from the White House.
Congress is also being asked to authorize a funding increase of $50 billion for the Small Business Administration to offer loans to coronavirus impacted businesses.