The American Foundry Society held a virtual discussion on June 2 hosted by the AFS Government Affairs Division with U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady (TX-8), a 23-year veteran of Capitol Hill and the top Republican on the Ways and Means Committee.  The congressman kicked off his remarks by evaluating the work done by Congress so far to combat the effects of the global pandemic.

The American Foundry Society, along with a coalition of more than 130 small business organizations, is calling on Congress to make critical changes to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) so small manufacturers, including foundries, have more flexibility and the opportunity to remain operational throughout COVID-19.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced this week a new guidance for enforcing its COVID-19 recordkeeping requirements, soon requiring employers, including metalcasters, to make an increased effort to determine whether they need to record and report coronavirus cases in the workplace.

Following outcry from the business community and Congress, the IRS reversed course on May 8, saying businesses can get the new employee retention tax credit even if they are paying health benefits but not wages for workers.