Pelosi Pleads With Airlines to Stop Layoffs, Says Aid Is Imminent

Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) pleaded with airlines on Friday to stop furloughs and layoffs, promising that $25 billion in additional aid is “imminent.”

Nonetheless, an agreement in Congress on an extension of the CARES Act stimulus package has yet to be reached and, in fact, the latest attempt at a bill by Democrats failed.

Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, was unable to get through a vote by unanimous consent for legislation to provide more aid for airline payrolls, according to CNBC.

“As relief for airline workers is being advanced, the airline industry must delay these devastating job cuts,” Pelosi said in a statement.

Airlines were bound by the provisions of the original CARES Act in March to halt layoffs for six months. That restriction expired on Thursday, Oct. 1, and the industry began job cuts. American and United Airlines were both expected to lay off a combined 32,000 workers.

Airline bookings are down 70 percent across the board compared to last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Other options, according to CNBC, include another stand-alone bill that was introduced by two Senate Republicans last month and a potential broad coronavirus package that has been fraught with disagreements between House Democrats and the Trump administration.