Now they have no choice.
Now there can be no more partisan politics.
Now there can be no more erratic late-night tweeting from the President, flip-flopping on his own decision.
Now there can be no more grandstanding by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, filling what is supposed to be a relief bill for the American people with unneeded pork.
Now the airline aid deal MUST get done.
Regardless of how you feel about whether the aviation industry deserves a second round of government grants and loans, as it received in March with the CARES Act stimulus package, both sides of the aisle have backed themselves into a corner. Frankly, both Democrats and Republicans have embarrassed themselves over negotiations of an extension of the relief bill.
Trump told his negotiators on Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 6, to walk away from the table and that he would get a bill passed himself "after the election." Seven hours later, he tweeted a reversal of his decision and said he was ready to sign a bill. Pelosi pleaded with the airlines to put a halt to layoffs and furloughs that began on Oct. 1, when the restrictions against doing so expired as part of accepting the original aid package six months ago. She promised a new deal. That was four days ago as of this writing.
Americans are still struggling.
The economy is showing signs of growth, but not nearly at a rate to help families or help those who have lost their jobs get back in the workforce. Nowhere is this more evident than the airline industry, and that should be a clear enough example for the President, the Speaker of the House, the Secretary of the Treasury, and every member of Congress to see. Because it's already happening.
It's no longer 'if.'
It's no longer 'when.'
It's here. It's now.
Airlines are laying off employees in historic numbers, including a combined 32,000 between American and United airlines alone. And that's just the carriers; we haven't even discussed suppliers yet.
This pandemic has devastated the country, to the point where, hours earlier on Tuesday before Trump initially pulled his negotiators, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the economy depended on a new relief bill.
And we haven't even touched the emotional aspect, either.
Granted, life is full of disappointments and emotion should have no part of a trillion-dollar decision. But this is another casualty of the botched handling of another round of airline aid. Both political parties have contributed to this delay, dragging workers through the mud as they sit and wonder "Is today the day? Is tomorrow the day?" It's a stressful situation, particularly one that is completely out of your hands.
Airlines employ almost 1 million people in this country. There's no question about its role in the American economy. Whether you feel the industry 'deserves' another round of aid is a very personal, respectful decision. But that's not the point right now.
The point is, just the decision-making process alone has become a boondoggle. Politicians are playing with fire with the economy and playing with people's minds on a personal level.
There's no more choice, no more debate.
As the President might say, just GET THE DEAL DONE.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
