ARLINGTON, Va. – The National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA) today released the following statement from Mike Goscinski, Senior Director, External Affairs, regarding publication of the Fiscal Year 2022 Spending Package:

“Although NAMA is disappointed that Congress was unable to restore fourth-quarter 2021 access to the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) in its Omnibus spending package, we remain optimistic that this is a delay and not defeat. Employers need relief, and the strong bipartisan support for the Employee Retention Tax Credit Reinstatement Act (ERTCRA) shows that Congress understands that.

“When Congress negotiated the infrastructure bill last Fall, the nation was in a different state of recovery. Unfortunately, the rise of new variants continued to unevenly impact small businesses and hinder their rebound. By the time the infrastructure package was signed into law, small businesses were reeling again – without access to ERTC, the last safety net provided by lawmakers.

“We appreciate the steadfast commitment of the sponsors of the ERTCRA. We urge Congress to fulfill its promise to small businesses by working diligently toward passing it into law.”