No images? Click here Biden Announces Vaccine Mandate for Companies with More Than 100 Employees On Thursday, September 9, 2021, President Joe Biden announced that all employers with more than 100 workers will be forced to require coronavirus vaccinations or test employees weekly. The expansive rules mandate that all employers with more than 100 workers require them to be vaccinated or test for the virus weekly, affecting about 80 million Americans. And the roughly 17 million workers at health facilities that receive federal Medicare or Medicaid also will have to be fully vaccinated. The Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration in the coming weeks plans to issue an emergency temporary standard implementing the new requirement. Businesses that don’t comply can face fines of up to $14,000 per violation. In addition, President Biden has issued an Executive Order directing that all federal workers and employees of contractors that do business with the federal government to be vaccinated or otherwise subject to weekly testing. Read GCCA fact sheet HERE. Read the full announcement HERE.
GCCA Launches New Grassroots Campaign Opposing the Small Business Tax Fairness Act (S.2387) Senator Wyden’s Small Business Tax Fairness Act is anything but fair to small businesses as it will impose a tax hike by limiting the Small Business Deductions. This tax hike would hurt small businesses' ability to reinvest money back into new jobs, higher wages, and business growth at a time when small businesses are just beginning to recover from shutdowns and restrictions. Specifically, GCCA is concerned about the limitations it places on the Section 199A tax deduction, which allows pass-through businesses to take a deduction of up to 20 percent for qualified business income. This deduction allows you to invest more in employee compensation, new hires, capital, or other avenues for business growth. Protect your business from this potential tax hike by taking action HERE. GCCA Send Letter to House Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal Opposing Tax IncreasesOn Thursday, September 9, 2021, GCCA joined 119 other associations in sending a letter in the House Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal urging him to reject any measures that would raise taxes on small businesses as part of the upcoming reconciliation bill. The package of tax hikes being considered by the Biden administration and Congress represents a direct assault on small business owners. Proposals to raise rates on pass-throughs and C corporations, cap the Section 199A deduction, increase the capital gains tax, and impose a new “double death tax” would raise taxes on small businesses when they operate, when they are sold, and when they are passed on to the next generation. Congress should avoid tax policies that harm small businesses at any time and especially while we are amid a pandemic. GCCA continues to have active grassroot campaigns urging congress to reject tax increases. If you have not done so already, please take action HERE. Read the full coalition letter HERE. USDA Invests $700 million in Grants to Provide Relief to Farm and Food Workers Impacted by COVID-19On Tuesday, September 7, 2021, Agriculture Secretary Vilsack today announced that $700 million in competitive grant funding will be available through the new Farm and Food Workers Relief (FFWR) grant program to help farmworkers and meatpacking workers with pandemic-related health and safety costs. The program will provide relief to farmworkers, meatpacking workers, and front-line grocery workers for expenses incurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This relief is intended to defray costs for reasonable and necessary personal, family, or living expenses related to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as costs for personal protective equipment (PPE), dependent care, and expenses associated with quarantines and testing related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Request for Application (RFA) will be announced in early Fall and will be open for 60 days. Additional information and technical assistance for applying to these grants and program updates will be provided by USDA when the application period opens. Read the full announcement HERE.
White House Wants Emergency Hurricanes FundsOn Tuesday, September 7, 2021, The White House asked Congress for billions of dollars in emergency funds to cover costs associated with recent hurricanes and wildfires in western states. The White House is seeking $14 billion for disasters that hit the country prior to Hurricane Ida, while Ida itself is estimated to require at least $10 billion of aid. Demands for hurricane relief legislation grew when the entire Louisiana delegation, including fiscally conservative Republicans like House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, wrote to President Joe Biden calling for a boost in funds. The money, if approved, would be attached to a stopgap spending bill that’s needed because Congress has yet to pass any of the 12 regular appropriations bills to fund government operations for the coming fiscal year. |