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Rep. Wild Votes to Support Small Businesses, Hospitals, Increased Testing

April 23, 2020

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Representative Susan Wild (PA-07) released the following statement after her vote to pass an interim emergency funding package to bolster relief programs established by the CARES Act:

"I am deeply proud that today's vote was an extension of the nonpartisan work that we in the House have been doing since the onset of this pandemic. The extended funding secured in the Interim Emergency Coronavirus Relief Package is a direct reflection of what I'm hearing on the local level when I talk to our small business owners and local hospital networks.

"Not only will this funding go to replenish the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan programs which have been so critical for our local businesses, it will also set aside billions for community-based lenders and smaller businesses who had trouble accessing this relief the first time around. This is necessary if we want our most vulnerable businesses to be able to reopen on the other side of this pandemic. Representing a district with two world class hospital networks, I was also proud that this funding will support our health care providers and frontline workers through these unprecedented times.

"I am further heartened that we were able to vote to enact a special bipartisan oversight panel which will work to address so many of the concerns that have been voiced on the local level, including rooting out waste and fraud, guaranteeing that federal response is evidence-based and scientifically sound, and ensuring taxpayer dollars are being used effectively.

"Moving forward, my priorities are rooted in our community's needs, including making sure that our local municipalities are provided for in a robust fashion to support our emergency responders and local governments. Furthermore, I will continue working on initiatives to support our educational institutions as well as increase access to quality and affordable health care.

"Together, we will get through this crisis and together, we will rebuild."

Specifically, the interim funding package offers real support to programs enacted by the CARES Act by:

Supporting Small Businesses, including:

  • $310 billion in additional funding to strengthen the Paycheck Protection Program, with $30 billion reserved for community-based lenders, small banks, and credit unions, and $30 billion for medium-sized banks and credit unions;
  • $50 billion for Small Business Administration disaster lending, translating into more than $350 billion in loans, and $10 billion in SBA disaster grants;

Protecting Hospitals and Health Care Workers, including:

  • $75 billion to reimburse hospitals and other health care providers for health care related expenses or lost revenue attributable to COVID-19, to construct temporary structures where necessary, and to provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to frontline workers;

Increasing Testing, including:

  • $25 billion for testing and implementation of a national strategic testing policy that will focus on increasing domestic testing capacity, including testing supplies.

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