September 23, 2020      The Honorable Mitch McConnell  The Honorable Nancy Pelosi  Majority Leader  Speaker of the House  U.S. Senate  U.S. House of Representatives  Washington, DC 20510  Washington, DC 20515        The Honorable Charles E. Schumer  The Honorable Kevin McCarthy  Minority Leader  Minority Leader  U.S. Senate  U.S. House of Representatives  Washington, DC 20510  Washington, DC 20515    Dear Leader McConnell; Leader Schumer; Speaker Pelosi; and Leader McCarthy:  The Nevada delegation is writing to request that Congress immediately move to support the aviation industry and aviation workers by extending key support programs and providing additional relief before September 30, 2020.  As you know, aviation is one of the most important sectors of the U.S. economy accounting for over 7% of U.S Gross Domestic Product and directly supporting the employment of millions of Americans. In our state, the industry is a vital component of our tourism, travel, and hospitality based economy. In 2019, both of Nevada’s major airports saw record levels of travelers which helped support strong economic growth. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused dramatic decreases in air travel and the resulting economic crisis has harmed Nevada disproportionately.   Without strong support for this key component of our state’s economy, Nevada may suffer years of slow growth and high unemployment. The hundreds of thousands of jobs that are supported by the aviation industry in Nevada will be jeopardized, straining our state’s unemployment system further and harming countless families. Providing more support at this time will help our state recover faster when the pandemic is over and ensure that Nevadans are able to pay their bills, retain their jobs, and fuel economic growth.  For these reasons, we are requesting that you take swift action to continue support for key programs and provide additional funds to this vital sector of the economy by supporting the following:     $32 billion for the clean extension of the aviation payroll support program (PSP) – $25 billion for passenger air carriers, $4 billion for cargo air carriers, and $3 billion for airline contractors, as needed; $10 billion for airports to offset lost revenues and support future investment; and $3.5 billion for concessionaires at airports. Page 2 In addition, we should ensure Congress addresses any challenges that may be preventing certain air carriers from utilizing any remaining CARES Act support for the aviation sector, including opening up the air carrier loan program for new applicants. We appreciate the work that you have done to support the aviation industry and the many workers who jobs are supported by this key sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the economic situation in our state remains dire and additional measures are needed to help Nevadans through this crisis.  We look forward to working with you on this issue.  Sincerely, Catherine Cortez Masto United States Senator Jacky Rosen United States Senator Dina Titus Member of Congress Mark E. Amodei Member of Congress Susie Lee Member of Congress Steven Horsford Member of Congress