Sen. Mitt Romney proposes 'Patriot Pay' to give essential workers a $12 per hour raise - Salt Lake Tribune

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Washington • Sen. Mitt Romney is pitching the idea of “Patriot Pay” for frontline workers, an idea that would offer an incentive to businesses to pay employees an additional $12 per hour through July.

The Utah Republican says the proposal would help offset a concern that some people would benefit more from joining the unemployment rolls — given Congress has augmented that pay in the near-term — and compensate essential workers, like those in grocery stores, the trucking industry and medical device manufacturers, for continuing to go to work amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“Health care professionals, grocery store workers, food processors, and many others — the unsung patriots on the frontline of this pandemic — every day risk their safety for the health and well-being of our country, and they deserve our unwavering support,” Romney said in a statement. “Patriot Pay is a way for us to reward our essential workers as they continue to keep Americans safe, healthy, and fed.”

Romney's office said the “Patriot Pay” idea would:

— Hike pay up to $12 per hour to essential employees who make less than $50,000 annually and phased down for those making more than that until incomes hit $90,000.

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— Give employers a 75% refundable tax credit for buying into the program.

— Allow Congress and the Labor Department to designate critical industries “including, but not limited to hospitals, food distributors and processors, and health manufacturers” that could participate in the program.

As an example of the program’s benefit, Romney’s office said a grocery store in Provo could opt into “Patriot Pay” and contribute $3 toward increasing an essential worker’s pay while the federal government would give a tax refundable incentive to cover another $9 per hour. If that employee made $10 per hour, he or she would see a $5,760 bonus from May 1 through the end of July. The grocery store worker’s weekly paycheck would include an extra $480.

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Sen. Mitt Romney proposes 'Patriot Pay' to give essential workers a $12 per hour raise - Salt Lake Tribune
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