Congress Turns Its Back on America's Gyms and Other Hardest Hit Businesses

Congress Turns Its Back on America’s Gyms and Other Hardest Hit Businesses

Congressional leaders have come to an agreement on an omnibus spending bill to fund the government. Despite a fierce lobbying effort by IHRSA, our coalition partners, industry professionals, and our champions on Capitol Hill, the agreement does NOT include any direct relief for gyms or any other hard hit businesses impacted by COVID. The agreement also fails to reinstate the Employee Retention Tax Credit for the fourth quarter of 2021.

Although financial relief for our industry was broadly popular in Congress, and was included in a business relief package proposed by Senator Cardin (D-MD), the effort could not overcome a bloc of strong resistance to additional COVID-related spending.

2022 is an election year. The omnibus spending bill may be the last big bill this Congress passes before they leave Washington D.C., to campaign for reelection this summer, making the passing of federal funding for gyms relief appear unlikely.

We will continue to look for alternative avenues for relief, despite a waning congressional appetite for the issue. We will also increase our advocacy activities related to the PHIT Act, which would stimulate growth for the industry moving forward.

Thank you for all of your support.

The omnibus agreement is highly disappointing, not least because we are the industry that makes people healthier and plays a key role in preventing chronic diseases, such as diabetes and promoting mental health. We look forward to building on the outstanding advocacy efforts that you all have demonstrated over the past 24 months. Together, we’ve created a foundation of lobbying and grassroots outreach that will support the industry’s trajectory toward becoming a true advocacy powerhouse.