“Lives are at risk. Jobs are at risk. Let’s stop the blame game and get it done the right way.”
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Small Business Committee and a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, today issued the following statement on the need for immediate, additional funding for disaster assistance for small businesses, as well as state and local governments.
“Small businesses in every community across America are hurting. We all know this and want to help them now. The way we do that is by, first, getting more money to the state and local governments who are on the front lines of battling this public health crisis. If we cannot curtail the public health threats, we cannot reopen our country. Second, we must get more funding to the loan and grant programs that Congress established to inject capital into our small businesses who are in desperate need. The disaster loans and grants program (EIDL) has been over-subscribed for a week and needs cash now. The Paycheck Protection Program, has just run out of funding. It also needs some immediate fixes that will allow more small businesses to keep workers on payroll during this emergency period.
“No one knows how long this crisis will last. What we do know is that all sides must be flexible and open to finding a bipartisan path forward that puts the needs of country first. We will have future opportunities to add more funding to these and other programs, but let’s break out of the partisan tunnel vision and work together now. Lives are at risk. Jobs are at risk. Let’s stop the blame game and get it done the right way.”
