Nearly 300 public, private sector groups launch digital campaign pushing for a deal on a coronavirus relief

A coalition of travel, restaurant, retail, and state and local government groups launched a digital advertising campaign on Wednesday calling for Congress to quickly approve a new coronavirus relief package.

The Covid Relief Now Coalition is made up of organizations representing the public and private sector, including the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), International Franchise Association (IFA), National League of Cities, Airlines for America, National Retail Federation, the National Restaurant Association and the U.S. Travel Association.

They anticipate spending more than $100,000 over the next couple of months on ad buys, according to the IFA. The ad is currently running on social media platforms.

“Our economy is on brink of collapse, millions of Americans unemployed, small businesses struggling to stay open, vital services stifled without funding. America is at a pivotal point. We need our leaders to lead. Tell Congress: no recess without relief,” the ad reads.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who is in active negotiations with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, suggested on Wednesday that a coronavirus relief package deal is imminent and that Congress would deliver aid either before Election Day or a short time later. 

The Covid Relief Now Coalition wrote a letter to congressional leadership in September also to call for Congress to not go on recess without a package. More than 175 organizations signed on, and the group has since grown to 300 organizations. 

“Millions of jobs and the livelihoods of people who have built their small business for decades are just withering away because our leaders in Washington are prioritizing politics over people,” AHLA CEO Chip Rogers said in a statement on Wednesday.

Other groups in the coalition include the National Association of Counties, American Apparel and Footwear Association, Asian American Hotel Owners Association, the Go Live Together Coalition, International Council of Shopping Centers and National Conference of State Legislatures.

Additionally, the coalition includes the National Governors Association, the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council, the Society of Independent Show Organizers and the United States Conference of Mayors.