(WASHINGTON, September 30, 2021) – Daniel J. Cardinali, president and CEO of Independent Sector, issues the following statement about this legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives:
“The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is a transformative piece of legislation that makes a once-in-a-generation commitment to many of the things that bind our nation together, including civic and community infrastructure. Independent Sector urges legislators to enact this bipartisan compromise and then immediately set to the task of reversing one particularly damaging provision: revocation of the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) for the fourth quarter of this year.
The nonprofit sector has served on the front lines of this health, economic, and racial justice crisis, but it cannot address these challenges alone. Even the most effective nonprofit programs are only as good as a community’s ability to reach them. This legislation will open doors by dramatically expanding broadband connections and making the largest federal public transit investment in American history. Independent Sector applauds these provisions, as well as other critical victories for the agenda of the Nonprofit Infrastructure Investment Advocacy Group. We are particularly heartened by the creation of new grants to support energy efficiency upgrades at nonprofit facilities, funding to eliminate every lead service pipe nationwide, and a first-ever initiative to reconnect communities divided by outdated transportation infrastructure.
Once the ink on this legislation is dry, we call on legislators to immediately restore the ERTC for the fourth quarter of this year. The nonprofit sector – America’s third largest employer – lost over 1.6 million jobs during the worst of the economic crisis and is still down by over 560,000 jobs as of August. While these lost jobs reflect families that are missing a paycheck, they also point to an issue of even greater urgency: unmet community needs. Since its creation last year, the ERTC has helped nonprofits rebuild and continue to deliver critical services. With the fourth quarter of the year beginning tomorrow, it is safe to say that this credit has already been factored into our sector’s budgeting and hiring decisions. While restoration for the fourth quarter is most urgent, we also call on Congress to clarify key parameters of the credit for nonprofits and to extend it through 2022.
We are grateful to the many bipartisan legislators who crafted this important legislation, and we look forward to working with Congress to perfect it as soon as possible.”
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Independent Sector is the only national membership organization that brings together a diverse community of changemakers, nonprofits, foundations, and corporations working to strengthen civil society and ensure all people in the United States thrive.
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