December 03, 2020

Duckworth Discusses COVID-19 Relief Efforts with Chicago Federation of Musicians

 

[CHICAGO, IL] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) held a call with Terryl Jares, President of the Chicago Federation of Musicians (CFM), this week to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the performing arts community in Chicago. Duckworth and Jares also spoke about federal relief measures including the extension of federal unemployment benefits and the Paycheck Protection Program.

“I had a productive call with the Chicago Federation of Musicians to discuss much-needed relief for the performing arts world amidst this incredibly challenging pandemic.” Duckworth said. “Musicians in Chicago and throughout Illinois have been hit hard by the economic fallout from COVID-19. They—and all Illinoisans—deserve a comprehensive relief package that provides the support they need to make ends meet.”

Earlier this week, Duckworth joined several colleagues in calling on Senate Leadership to include extensions to the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program and the Pandemic Emergency Compensation (PEUC) program as part of any COVID-19 relief package. Duckworth also helped introduce the RESTART Act, which would also create a loan program to provide funding to jump-start the hardest-hit businesses for the remainder of 2020 and provide loan forgiveness as a backstop against ongoing economic challenges.