Following an April 3 letter to congressional leadership urging targeted financial aid be provided through the next coronavirus relief package to workers in the critical food industry, the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) and other food industry associations sent a letter to President Donald Trump homing in on a key recommendation. In the April 10 letter, the organizations urged “tax relief for these key essential critical infrastructure workers from federal income taxes and payroll taxes up to $50,000 to demonstrate that all of us stand by these workers as they nobly and courageously serve as the nation’s lifeline during this difficult time,” Washington, D.C.-based IDFA said.

The justification for providing such relief is clear. Essential critical infrastructure workers are fighting a war against the coronavirus at great personal cost. They are taking their special responsibility as key contributors to America’s critical infrastructure seriously, ensuring public health and safety, the economy and national security functions in the United States stay open for business, IDFA said.