Outbreak of covid19 has led to an unprecedented Public Health crisis and a dire economic crisis. We have lost over 110,000 people to the disease, and 40 million remain unemployed. Back in february as the band that it was worse, we knew we needed to take action to help our Small Businesses survive the economic downturn. We started working with the sba and governors around the country to leverage the sba disaster resources available. Can you please mute . Anyone should be muted. Everyone should be muted. As the virus continues to spread, or state and local governments began imposing stayathome orders and business closures. We quickly realized Congress Needed to do more to meet the full scope of the problem, and that is when we started working on what ultimately became the cares act. To help Small Businesses and eligible nonprofits, congress created a new Paycheck Protection Program, expanded eligibility to the program and provided payment and interest relief for current sba borrowers. I
Again. We will move as quickly as we can but should we not be able to accommodate every member in person today, we will be accepting statements for the record until thursday, april 30. This important hearing i want to mention the chairwoman has been in our thoughts and prayers we wish you nothing but the best as you recover. Small businesses and entrepreneurs play a Critical Role within the american economy. Not only do they employ half of the nations workers but created two out of every three new jobs in the nation. You only need to take the poll from main street america. It is demonstrated Small Businesses and employees and the Response Congress created with a Paycheck Protection Programs with as many Small Businesses as possible during emergency. A low interest loan can be forgiven if used for payroll and Small Businesses have a tool available to assist them as they weather the storm experiencing extremely high demand and within a two week span all the money was exhausted i devote m
Again. We will move as quickly as we can but should we not be able to accommodate every member in person today, we will be accepting statements for the record until thursday, april 30. This important hearing i want to mention the chairwoman has been in our thoughts and prayers we wish you nothing but the best as you recover. Small businesses and entrepreneurs play a Critical Role within the american economy. Not only do they employ half of the nations workers but created two out of every three new jobs in the nation. You only need to take the poll from main street america. It is demonstrated Small Businesses and employees and the Response Congress created with a Paycheck Protection Programs with as many Small Businesses as possible during emergency. A low interest loan can be forgiven if used for payroll and Small Businesses have a tool available to assist them as they weather the storm experiencing extremely high demand and within a two week span all the money was exhausted i devote m
[inaudible conversations] we are going to get started. Thank you. Good morning. The hearing will come to order. I thank everyone for joining us this morning and i want to especially thank my colleagues for joining us today for the House Committee on business hearing the response to covid19. We have had a hard stop act once again. We will move as quickly as we can but should we not be able to accommodate every member in person today, we will be accepting statements for the record until thursday, april 30. This important hearing i want to mention the chairwoman has been in our thoughts and prayers we wish you nothing but the best as you recover. Small businesses and entrepreneurs play a Critical Role within the american economy. Not only do they employ half of the nations workers but created two out of every three new jobs in the nation. You only need to take the poll from main street america. It is demonstrated Small Businesses and employees and the Response Congress created with a Payc
Billion for testing labs for the virus. The president urged both parties to pass this legislation. The president tweeted this. I urge the senate and the house to pass the Paycheck Protection Program and healthcare enhancement act with additional funding for the payroll protection, hospitals, testing. After i sign this bill he tweeted well begin discussions on the next legislative initiative with Fiscal Relief to state and local governments for lost revenues from covid19. And much needed infrastructure, tax incentives for restaurants, payroll tax cuts to increase economic growth. After the package does pass the senate it moves to the house where its expected to be voted on and passed by thursday. After that its on to the president s desk where he will definitely sign it. Our first guest has been at the epicenter of all of the discussions to funds that critical Paycheck Protection Program, also demanding Speaker Pelosi establish a plan to reopen congress as they are entering their fourth