WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, President Joe Biden signed the American Rescue Plan into law, a comprehensive aid bill that helps put vaccines in arms, money in Washingtonians’ pockets and gets people back to work. The plan includes bipartisan language Larsen championed that will save aviation and aerospace jobs in Washington state and across the country. The provision helps cover pay and benefits for aerospace supply chain employees at risk of being furloughed or who were furloughed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In the Pacific Northwest, the highly skilled aviation manufacturing and maintenance workforce drives the economy and helps the U.S. remain competitive abroad,” said Rep. Larsen, Chair of the House Aviation Subcommittee. “The American Rescue Plan provides critical relief to help sustain the aerospace supply chain until the nation gets to the other side of the pandemic. I am committed to protecting these jobs and supporting the dedicated women and men who keep the supply chain moving during such challenging times.”

Larsen is a strong supporter of federal relief funding to help save aviation and aerospace jobs and sustain the U.S. aerospace supply chain. Larsen also helped secure an extension of the successful Payroll Support Program, which protects airline jobs. Further, the package provides $8 billion to help U.S. airports and airport concessionaires operate safely, including more than $187 million for airports and airport concessionaires in Northwest Washington. Last month, Larsen chaired a House Aviation Subcommittee hearing on the pandemic’s effects on U.S. aviation and the path to economic recovery.

The pandemic has caused an estimated 100,000 aerospace manufacturing workers nationwide to lose their jobs, and without assistance, 220,000 additional jobs are at risk of furlough. In Northwest Washington, Safran Cabins in Bellingham announced more than 450 layoffs and Hexcel Corporation in Burlington announced nearly 130 layoffs during the pandemic. Just last month, Cadence Aerospace-Giddens announced the closure of its Everett factory, resulting in the immediate loss of 72 jobs and 200 jobs total in less than a year.

For a summary of the American Rescue Plan, click here.

For Larsen’s priorities as Chair of the House Aviation Subcommittee for the 117th Congress, click here.

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