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IHRSA: Success By Association<\/p>\nIHRSA: Success By Association<\/p>\n
BOSTON, MA<\/strong> – A lot has been happening in DC, and we\u2019ve heard some inaccurate rumors circulating in the industry. So, IHRSA is providing this update on what has been happening to set the record straight. There\u2019s a lot of information to cover, but here are the highlights:<\/p>\n It has come to our attention that some people are saying the GYMS Act failed to make it through the Senate this week. This is not accurate.<\/p>\n Efforts to pass industry relief are still moving full steam ahead.<\/p>\n On Tuesday, the Senate passed a bi-bipartisan infrastructure bill. Some expressed concerns that there was no relief for the industry in the infrastructure bill. Allow me to ease those concerns.<\/p>\n The GYMS Act not being in the infrastructure bill was not a loss. There was never an opportunity to get any relief in the infrastructure package. That is why our focus is on the reconciliation process.<\/p>\n In the early hours on Wednesday, the Senate passed a budget blueprint. This blueprint provides instructions on the amount of money Committees will be allocated to form a spending budget as part of the larger budget and reconciliation process.<\/p>\n The budget blueprint is a necessary step in developing the reconciliation package, but it is not the reconciliation package.<\/p>\n We worked with Senator Duckworth\u2014our Democratic Senate sponsor\u2014to craft an amendment to the budget resolution with language that could be added to the instruction the Small Business Committee receives saying money should be allocated to support gyms. However, Senate Democrats were discouraged from filing amendments, so in the end, the blueprint didn’t include that language.<\/p>\n That was not a surprise. It does not change anything.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t get me wrong, if Senator Duckworth had been allowed to file an amendment that said gyms need relief, that would have given us a leg up. However, we were\u2014and still are\u2014committed to pursuing every possibility and advantage, but the entire process Wednesday wrapped up quickly with very few amendments.<\/p>\n The budget blueprint allows the Senate Small Business Committee $25B and the House $17.5B for their respective budgets.<\/p>\n Now, this does mean any industry relief in this reconciliation package would have to fit within those caps and would be substantially less than the $30B we asked for in the GYMS Act. That said, it is important to remember that we asked for a number in the GYMS Act as high as we did to withstand being cut by Congress. We based that number on our best estimate of industry loss at that time.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t let this week discourage you! Those who have been successful in getting dedicated relief walked down the same path.<\/p>\n For example, Restaurants asked for $120B but only received about 20% of that funding ($28.6B) when the relief was ultimately included in a package. <\/p>\n Our task is to continue to make our case to the House and Senate small business committees and Congressional leadership that there is still a need for relief.<\/p>\n In addition to the Senate one-click campaign and the focus on the Senate Small Business Committee, we are adding campaigns and outreach to the House Committee on Small Business. The message isn\u2019t changing, but we are expanding our Congressional targets and using updated information and all the support we can leverage to push forward.<\/p>\n Our lobbyists have already begun this outreach. We are encouraging everyone dedicated to industry relief to once again send a one-click message. Here\u2019s the link to the one-click campaign.<\/p>\n Congress is now in recess but the reconciliation battle will play out in August and well into September. The work we have done to demonstrate broad congressional support for relief for our industry is keeping us in the game.<\/p>\n On Wednesday evening, the headline from PoliticoPro Influence was \u201cGYMS ACT SPONSORS MAKE THE CASE FOR RECONCILIATION INCLUSION\u201d This column is a must-read for Hill Staffers and members of Congress.<\/p>\n The story reports that the lead House and Senate sponsors of the GYMS Act wrote to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. In it, they asked them to include relief for the gym and fitness industry in the \u201cparty-line reconciliation package being crafted now.\u201d<\/p>\n The article included this excerpt from the letter, \u201cAny forthcoming budget reconciliation legislation is a critical opportunity to provide support for this essential industry that, unlike other industries that have also been severely impacted by Covid-19, has not been given any industry-specific funding.\u201d Duckworth and Quigley also cited industry estimates that roughly 1 out of every 5 fitness studios has closed permanently during the pandemic.<\/p>\n So, let\u2019s keep the effort in high gear and be sure to watch your inboxes for the new grassroots campaigns links.<\/p>\n I hope this helped clear up any confusion the last few days may have caused, and if you have any questions, don\u2019t hesitate to ask. <\/p>\n\n
The Rumors<\/h3>\n
The GYMS Act and the Infrastructure Bill<\/h3>\n
The GYMS Act, the Reconciliation Package, and the Budget Blueprint<\/h3>\n
The Fight Continues for Much-Needed Relief for the Industry<\/h3>\n
The Next 3-6 Weeks are Critical<\/h3>\n