USMX Animated PDFs

4 USMX 2020 ANNUAL REPORT 4 USMX 2020 ANNUAL REPORT n Throughout 2020, Congress and the Trump Administration addressed the COVID-19 pandemic through a series of legislative initiatives aimed at protecting workers jobs and paychecks, providing financial support to at-risk businesses— Payroll Protection Program (smaller businesses) and the Main Street loan program (larger businesses)—and ensuring an adequate supply of masks, sanitizing equipment and other personal protective equipment. n Congress considered but ultimately did not pass legislation that would have expanded the scope of the Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act to include exposure to the COVID-19 virus. Under the House-passed "Heroes Act" exposure to COVID — regardless where or when it occurred — would be presumed to be a work-related illness and covered under the Workers Comp program. n Congress approved, and President Trump signed into law, legislation (the Maritime Transportation System Emergency Relief Act) establishing a new Department of Transportation grant program to financially assist the Nation's ports when confronted with disasters like the COVID-19 pandemic. The grant program would cover costs like personal protective equipment and associated remedial clean-up costs. While the program has now been authorized, it will need actual appropriations funding in Fiscal Year 2021 and 2022 to be effective. n Following Congressional authorization, the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) established an FMC Shipper Advisory Committee. The 24-member Committee would be made up of 12 shippers predominantly involved in export cargo and 12 shippers predominantly involved in import cargo. n The newly approved North American trade agreement —United States, Mexico, Canada (USMCA) went into effect on July 1, 2020. This is the revised agreement from the North America Free Trade Act or NAFTA. n As part of the Omnibus Appropriations bill signed into law on December 29, 2020, Congress approved language that would unlock some $10 billion in funding from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund for dredging, navigational improvements, hurricane and storm damage risk reduction and ecosystem restoration projects. n Congress debated but ultimately failed to approve, legislation that would address the funding crisis facing multiemployer pension plans. Disagreements between Republican and Democratic negotiators doomed the effort with both sides promising to return to the issue in 2021. 2020 Government Actions Summary

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