In case you missed it, The Hill reported on how gyms and fitness studios are pushing for targeted relief from Congress and urging lawmakers to pass the GYMS Act. A key excerpt highlighting the momentum for federal relief for community gyms can be found below:
- “Industry groups are rounding up support for the Gym Mitigation and Survival Act, a bipartisan bill that would give $30 billion in aid to gyms and health clubs. Their lobbying campaign has attracted a steady influx of House co-sponsors, which numbered 147 as of this week.”
It is critical that Congress provides gym owners with relief. 80 percent of gym owners are still struggling with the financial impact from the COVID-19 pandemic, 64 percent have taken on an average $75,000 in new debt to stay in business, and one in five fitness facilities has closed permanently.
Industries that were battered by the pandemic but missed out on federal relief are now mounting a last-minute push for government funding as lawmakers prepare two massive spending packages.
Congress has appropriated trillions of dollars in COVID-19 relief since the pandemic began, but only airlines, hospitals and a few other industries promptly received aid. And it wasn’t until just recently that restaurants, bars, movie theaters and live music venues began receiving billions in federal funding after an extended delay.
That leaves gym owners, hoteliers and bus companies among those still seeking an injection of government cash. Industry groups see President Biden’s infrastructure spending proposals as some of the few remaining avenues to win over Congress.
“In March 2020, the government shut down restaurants, live venues and gyms. That’s the trifecta that’s always come up, and it seems like we’ve come up with a solution for the first two, but we always skip over the last one,” said Brett Ewer, head of government relations at CrossFit.
Read the full article here.
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