Letter to the Hon. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House, the Hon. Kevin McCarthy, House Minority Leader, the Hon. Richard Neal, Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, the Hon. Kevin Brady, Ranking Member of the House Ways and Means Committee, the Hon. Nita Lowey, Chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee, and the Hon. Kay Granger, Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee - Reps. Titus, Bilirakis Lead Colleagues in Urging House Leadership to Protect Travel and Tourism Jobs in Recovery Package

Letter

Dear Speaker Pelosi, Leader McCarthy, Chairman Neal, Ranking Member Brady, Chairwoman Lowey, and Ranking Member Granger,

As members from districts with major ties to travel and tourism, we are deeply concerned about the communities and businesses that have been devastated by the total shutdown of the tourism economy as restaurants, resorts, retailers, sport facilities, entertainment venues, museums, cultural centers, ports, parks, airports and more have closed or been significantly impacted by the spread of COVID-19.

According to the U.S. Travel Association, an estimated 4.6 million jobs and $355 billion in revenue will be lost this year in the travel and tourism industry. As Congress considers the next phase of our response, it is imperative that we include proposals that will assist these workers and businesses which are vital to our nation's economy.

One of every ten jobs in this country is tied to the travel and tourism industry. We look forward to working with you on a long-term recovery package that keeps these workers in mind. Together, we must ensure that the workers, their families, and the communities we represent are able to rebound from this crisis. We thank you for your continued leadership.