- Payroll tax cut: “The administration is eyeing structuring the payroll tax cut in the legislation as a deferral rather than an outright cut, which would keep down the technical cost of the overall bill, according to the person briefed on the package, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations. Such a deferral could require Americans to pay back the tax cut at a later date, but lawmakers could later decide to waive the repayment entirely.
- Liability protection: “The emerging GOP legislation will also contain liability protections for businesses, health-care providers and others, which McConnell has repeatedly described as a red line for him.”
The NAM has prioritized securing liability protections for manufacturers subject to baseless COVID-19-related lawsuits. Our plan and advocacy campaign has set the stage for congressional action, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) addressed it on the Senate floor today as he spoke about upcoming COVID-19 legislation, saying:
“The American people will not see their historic recovery efforts gobbled up by trial lawyers who are itching to follow this pandemic with a second epidemic of frivolous lawsuits. . . .Gross negligence will still be actionable, but we’re creating a safe harbor for institutions that make a good-faith effort to follow the guidelines available to them.”
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) introduced the SAFE TO WORK Act yesterday. It’s part of Senate Republicans’ larger proposed COVID-19 relief package and mirrors the NAM’s “Pandemic Liability Policy Recommendations.” It would protect businesses from lawsuits that seek to take advantage of the confusion and evolving landscape of federal, state and local health and safety guidance on COVID-19.