Coons, colleagues urge Administration to help victims and survivors of domestic violence during coronavirus pandemic

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) joined U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and 20 other senators on a letter expressing concern for the wellbeing of families who face an increased risk of domestic violence during the outbreak of the novel coronavirus and urged the Administration to ensure service providers have the flexibility and resources to help victims and survivors of domestic violence.

“We write to express our concern for the wellbeing of families who face an increased risk of domestic violence during the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). We also ask that the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) ensure that the organizations that help victims and survivors of domestic violence have the resources and information needed to continue to provide these critical services during the pandemic,” the senators wrote.

Along with Senators Coons, Klobuchar, Murkowski, and Casey, the letter was signed by Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).

The full text of the letter can be found HERE and below:

Dear Assistant Secretary Johnson and Acting-Director Rogers:

We write to express our concern for the wellbeing of families who face an increased risk of domestic violence during the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). We also ask that the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) ensure that the organizations that help victims and survivors of domestic violence have the flexibility, resources, and information needed to continue to provide these critical services during the pandemic. 

In recent weeks, states and cities across the country have taken a variety of steps to mitigate the spread of the virus, including closing schools, limiting access to public spaces and restaurants, and instructing people to shelter in place. Many people are now working from home, while others have been required to take unpaid leave or have lost their jobs.

An unintended but foreseeable consequence of these drastic measures will be increased stress at home, which in turn creates a greater risk for domestic violence. According to one recent article, emergency situations have “historically led to increased reports of domestic abuse” to the National Domestic Violence Hotline. In addition, domestic violence service providers expect an increase in the need for emergency childcare and domestic violence shelters, as well as for supplies to keep centers and program sites safe and secure.

Many of these programs are administered by your offices and funded through grants authorized by the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act and the Violence Against Women Act. It is critical that your agencies ensure that victims and survivors of domestic violence continue to have access to these vital services. Accordingly, we request answers to the following questions, as well as a telephonic briefing with members of our staff, regarding actions ACF and OVW are taking no later than March 31, 2020:

1. Have the domestic violence programs that ACF and OVW administer seen an increase in need over the past 60 days, as a result of the COVID-19 mitigation efforts in place at the local, state, and federal level? If so, please provide detail, to the extent possible, broken down by state or territory.

2. How have the domestic violence programs administered by your offices been strained as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic?

3. What steps have ACF and OVW taken to prepare for a potential rise in the need for domestic violence programs or services?

4. What will ACF and OVW do to provide organizations an opportunity to request additional financial support to respond to an increased demand for services?

5. What steps has ACF and OVW taken to ensure that survivors continue to have to access to judicial proceedings, including the opportunity to seek a protective order?

6. What steps will ACF and OVW take to provide greater flexibility for service providers who may be required to alter their programs without risking their eligibility for funding?

7. If programs have to close or suspend services due to COVID-19, will ACF and OVW offer grantees flexibility to continue to support the programs’ employees?

8. What information or resources have you made available to domestic violence organizations, particularly with regard to ensuring the safety of front line employees?

9. Have ACF and OVW provided guidance about how organizations should alter their operations in order to maintain services while providing for the safety of staff, including remote or mobile operations? 

10. What additional guidance or resources are ACF and OVW providing domestic violence organizations that serve American Indians / Alaska Natives, rural, and underserved communities?

Thank you for your attention to this important matter. We urge you to take immediate action to prepare for a potential increase in incidents of domestic violence and look forward to your prompt response. 

Sincerely,

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Sen. Coons, colleagues urge FDA to change discriminatory blood donation policies to combat coronavirus pandemic

As COVID-19 has spurred a nationwide blood shortage, the FDA continues to enforce discriminatory policies prohibiting many healthy gay and bisexual men from donating blood

Senators: “We must take every possible step to secure our nation’s blood supply in this critical time.”

WASHINGTON — In the midst of a nationwide shortage of donated blood spurred by the coronavirus pandemic, U.S. Senator Chris Coons joined Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and 13 other colleagues in raising concerns with the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) discriminatory blood donation deferral policy for men who have sex with men (MSM).

While government health officials encourage every healthy individual to consider donating blood, the FDA continues to enforce a discriminatory donor deferral policy that effectively prohibits many healthy gay and bisexual men from doing so. In their letter to FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn, the Senators urge the administration to swiftly change these discriminatory blood donation policies to help save lives.

The Senators write, “We write to express our concern with the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) discriminatory blood donor deferral policy for men who have sex with men (MSM), particularly in the midst of a nationwide shortage of donated blood and blood products spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic. We must take every possible step to secure our nation’s blood supply in this critical time, and in order to do so, we need to shift away from antiquated and stigmatizing donation policies to ones that are scientifically sound, based on individual risk, and inclusive of all potential healthy blood donors.

They continue, “… while government health officials encourage every healthy individual to consider donating blood, the FDA continues to enforce a discriminatory donor deferral policy that effectively prohibits many healthy gay and bisexual men from doing so.

The Senators conclude, “In light of this shortage, we urge you to swiftly update blood donor deferral policies in favor of ones that are grounded in science, are based on individual risk factors, do not unfairly single out one group of individuals, and allow all healthy Americans to donate. We strongly encourage you to consider this critical solution as you work to develop a comprehensive response to the COVID-19 outbreak and ensure that Americans have access to life-saving blood transfusions.”

The letter was also signed by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

The full letter is available here and below. An online version of this release is available here. 

Dear Commissioner Hahn,

We write to express our concern with the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) discriminatory blood donor deferral policy for men who have sex with men (MSM), particularly in the midst of a nationwide shortage of donated blood and blood products spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic. We must take every possible step to secure our nation’s blood supply in this critical time, and in order to do so, we need to shift away from antiquated and stigmatizing donation policies to ones that are scientifically sound, based on individual risk, and inclusive of all potential healthy blood donors.

It is vital that all Americans have access to the health care services they need during this outbreak, and for many individuals, including accident and trauma victims, organ transplant recipients and cancer patients, blood transfusions remain a necessary component of care.  Unfortunately, our nation’s blood supply has been severely constrained due to a decline in healthy donations. In fact, AABB, formerly known as the American Association of Blood Banks, has predicted 355,000 fewer blood donations as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.

During this crisis, Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Assistant Secretary for Health Dr. Brett Giroir, and Dr. Peter Marks, head of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), which oversees the safety of blood and blood products in the United States, have all expressed that blood donation for healthy individuals remains safe and is much needed. But while government health officials encourage every healthy individual to consider donating blood, the FDA continues to enforce a discriminatory donor deferral policy that effectively prohibits many healthy gay and bisexual men from doing so.

We are steadfastly committed to ending this policy and encourage the FDA to shift to scientific practices that secure our nation’s blood supply based on individual risk rather than the perpetuation of inaccurate stereotypes. We have written to your agency on this subject in the past and have appreciated the FDA’s willingness to engage in discussions and make changes to the MSM deferral policy. In 2015, the agency took the important step of moving from a lifetime ban to a one-year deferral policy after last sexual contact.

However, with important advances in blood screening and safety technology, a time-based deferral policy is not scientifically sound, continues to effectively exclude many healthy gay and bisexual men, and does not meet the urgent demands of the moment. Further, with the increased uptake of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), which reduces the likelihood that an HIV-negative individual will acquire HIV, many more gay and bisexual men are aware of their HIV-negative status and are taking steps to effectively eliminate their personal risk of HIV transmission. As such, it is imperative that we move away from discriminatory donor deferral policies that prohibit many healthy individuals from contributing much-needed blood and blood products. 

In light of this shortage, we urge you to swiftly update blood donor deferral policies in favor of ones that are grounded in science, are based on individual risk factors, do not unfairly single out one group of individuals, and allow all healthy Americans to donate. We strongly encourage you to consider this critical solution as you work to develop a comprehensive response to the COVID-19 outbreak and ensure that Americans have access to life-saving blood transfusions. 

Thank you for your attention to this important issue.

Sincerely,

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Sen. Coons secures critical relief for small business in third COVID-19 response package

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Chris Coons, who serves as ranking member of the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee and sits on the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, announced sweeping measures to aid small businesses as part of the $2 trillion response package to address the outbreak of COVID-19. The small business package includes more than $377 billion in grants, debt relief, and forgivable, guaranteed loans to alleviate the impact of the pandemic on small businesses, nonprofits, and self-employed Americans nationwide.

“Small businesses are the heart of our economy. With small businesses facing disproportionate impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak, this third stimulus package clearly needed to focus on helping people in industries like food service, retail, and hospitality,” said Sen. Coons. “I’ve been hearing from small business owners up and down the state of Delaware, and I’m proud to help deliver much-needed relief to them during this time of great uncertainty.”

The $377 billion small business package in the third COVID-19 stimulus bill includes:

• Six months of debt relief on Small Business Administration loans: Senators Coons and Ben Cardin (D-Md.), ranking member of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, introduced the $17 billion Small Business Debt Relief Act last week to ensure that every small business with a loan backed by the SBA would be relieved of their loan payments—including principal, interest, and fees—for the next six months. The industry sectors most represented in SBA loan programs are many of those bearing the brunt of this crisis: independent restaurants, hotels, retailers, childcare centers, fitness centers, and other service-oriented businesses. With this legislation, the federal government will temporarily make the loan payments on behalf of each one of the 854 small businesses in Delaware with a federally-backed loan, ensuring their loan balances decline on schedule at no cost to the businesses. 
• Expanded access to loans that incentivize worker retention: Within the new relief plan, all small businesses, nonprofits, and even self-employed Americans will have immediate access to ‘Paycheck Protection Program’ (PPP) loans that are no-fee and 100% federally-guaranteed. PPP loans will be issued under temporarily expedited processing standards and may be used to cover operational costs such as wages, rent, or utilities and offer the potential for substantial forgiveness to firms that retain or rehire their workers.
• $10 billion in federal grants for small business: Senators Coons and Cardin also fought to incorporate funding for $10 billion in federal grants, which would not require repayment from qualifying small businesses and nonprofits. This program will serve the most severely-impacted small businesses and nonprofits.

Another component of this third COVID-19 response package is the rescue of Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) centers. Last week, Sen. Coons and his colleagues introduced the MEP Crisis Response Act of 2020 to help local MEP centers, which provide critical resources for small and medium manufacturers, stay open during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond. Maintaining their operations is especially relevant today in the context of medical supplies and pharmaceutical products, when American manufacturers face wildly fluctuating demand and insufficiently robust supply chains. The bill temporarily waives a cost-sharing requirement and provides an emergency $50 million in support for the MEP program.

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Sen. Coons votes to pass $2 trillion stimulus package to combat COVID-19 pandemic

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), the top Democrat on the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee, voted to pass a roughly $2 trillion stimulus package to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill is expected to quickly pass the House of Representatives and become law.

“Families across Delaware are already feeling the devastating impacts of COVID-19 and its disruption of our economy. Businesses have been forced to close, workers have been furloughed, and many nonprofit organizations are unable to serve our most vulnerable neighbors. Delawareans need the government to step up and provide the help and resources required to get through this crisis.

“Today, Republicans and Democrats upheld our responsibility to deliver for the American people and worked together to pass a $2 trillion relief package that will help American families in a time of great need. This historic legislation will provide prompt aid to our small businesses, support to working families, and resources to the hospitals and health care workers on the front lines of this public health crisis. I’m also proud that Democrats fought to include an additional $150 billion for state and local governments, enhanced accountability and transparency for the $500 billion in industry support, expanded unemployment insurance, and more. This bill is the single largest relief package in American history, and we needed to get it right.

“The passage of this bill is an important step forward, but there is still so much more work to be done. In the days ahead, we need to ensure that this aid is delivered effectively and quickly, continue to assess the public health and economic needs of our communities, and be ready to take additional legislative action.”

The roughly $2 trillion phase three stimulus package includes:

• A dramatic expansion and reform of the unemployment insurance program. The extended UI program increases the maximum unemployment benefit by $600 per week and ensures that laid-off workers, on average, will receive their full pay for four months. It ensures that all workers are protected whether they work for businesses small, medium or large, along with self-employed and workers in the gig economy.
• $150 billion for state, local, and tribal governments that are propping up local health systems on their own.
• A Marshall Plan for hospitals and medical needs of $150 billion. This includes investments in personal and protective equipment for health care workers, testing supplies, increasing workforce and training, new construction to house patients, an increase for the Strategic National Stockpile, medical research into COVID-19, and Medicare payment increases to all hospitals treating COVID-19 patients to ensure they receive the funding they need during this pandemic.
• $377 billion in capital to small businesses that desperately need support to make payroll and cover expenses. This bill provides cash-flow sustenance through 100% federally guaranteed loans to employers. If employers maintain or rehire their workers, the loans will be forgiven to a large extent, which will help workers to remain employed and help small businesses quickly snap back after this crisis. This funding also includes Senator Coons’ $17 billion Small Business Debt Relief Act and his MEP Crisis Response Act. Senator Coons also secured $10 billion in federal grants to serve the most severely impacted businesses and nonprofits.
• $500 billion in industry support, with enhanced transparency and accountability. Every loan document will be public.
• $10 million in federal funding for the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals, or NIIMBL, which is headquartered in Newark, Delaware.
• Direct financial support to American working families. This bill provides $1,200 in direct payments that would apply equally to workers with incomes up to $75,000 per year ($150,000 for married couples) before phasing out and ending altogether for those earning more than $99,000 ($198,000 for couples). Families will receive an additional $500 per child.
• $400 million for states to help prepare for the 2020 elections. Funding can be used, for example, to increase the ability to vote by mail, expand early voting and online registration, and increase the safety of voting in person by providing additional voting facilities and more poll workers.

• $100 million for Assistance to Firefighters Grants and a $45 billion infusion into FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund to ensure that firefighters and first responders can purchase the equipment and tools they will need to protect themselves and our communities throughout this crisis.

• $1.018 billion to help cover Amtrak’s operating losses during the unprecedented drop in ridership levels. Of that, $492 million is for the Northeast Corridor.
• $80 million to support a new Pandemic Response Accountability Committee. This committee will ensure that all spending in this legislation is transparent to the public and to conduct effective oversight of the funds provided to guard against waste, fraud, and abuse. 
• $3.5 billion in additional funding for the Child Care Development Block Grant to provide child care assistance to health care sector employees, emergency responders, sanitation workers, and other workers deemed essential during the response to the coronavirus.
• $30.75 billion in emergency support to local school systems and higher education institutions, which will include millions in grants to the University of Delaware and Delaware State University.
• Protections for AmeriCorps members whose terms of service are interrupted so that they can continue to receive their Segal Education Awards.

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Here’s whats in the third legislative package to address COVID-19

On March 25, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) voted to pass a roughly $2 trillion stimulus package to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill is expected to quickly pass the House of Representatives and become law.

The roughly $2 trillion phase three stimulus package includes:

• A dramatic expansion and reform of the unemployment insurance program. The extended UI program increases the maximum unemployment benefit by $600 per week and ensures that laid-off workers, on average, will receive their full pay for four months. It ensures that all workers are protected whether they work for businesses small, medium or large, along with self-employed and workers in the gig economy.
• $150 billion for state, local, and tribal governments that are propping up local health systems on their own.
• A Marshall Plan for hospitals and medical needs of $150 billion. This includes investments in personal and protective equipment for health care workers, testing supplies, increasing workforce and training, new construction to house patients, an increase for the Strategic National Stockpile, medical research into COVID-19, and Medicare payment increases to all hospitals treating COVID-19 patients to ensure they receive the funding they need during this pandemic.
• $377 billion in capital to small businesses that desperately need support to make payroll and cover expenses. This bill provides cash-flow sustenance through 100% federally guaranteed loans to employers. If employers maintain or rehire their workers, the loans will be forgiven to a large extent, which will help workers to remain employed and help small businesses quickly snap back after this crisis. This funding also includes Senator Coons’ $17 billion Small Business Debt Relief Act and his MEP Crisis Response Act. Senator Coons also secured $10 billion in federal grants to serve the most severely impacted businesses and nonprofits.
• $500 billion in industry support, with enhanced transparency and accountability. Every loan document will be public.
• $10 million in federal funding for the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals, or NIIMBL, which is headquartered in Newark, Delaware.
• Direct financial support to American working families. This bill provides $1,200 in direct payments that would apply equally to workers with incomes up to $75,000 per year ($150,000 for married couples) before phasing out and ending altogether for those earning more than $99,000 ($198,000 for couples). Families will receive an additional $500 per child.
• $400 million for states to help prepare for the 2020 elections. Funding can be used, for example, to increase the ability to vote by mail, expand early voting and online registration, and increase the safety of voting in person by providing additional voting facilities and more poll workers.

• $100 million for Assistance to Firefighters Grants and a $45 billion infusion into FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund to ensure that firefighters and first responders can purchase the equipment and tools they will need to protect themselves and our communities throughout this crisis.

• $1.018 billion to help cover Amtrak’s operating losses during the unprecedented drop in ridership levels. Of that, $492 million is for the Northeast Corridor.
• $80 million to support a new Pandemic Response Accountability Committee. This committee will ensure that all spending in this legislation is transparent to the public and to conduct effective oversight of the funds provided to guard against waste, fraud, and abuse. 
• $3.5 billion in additional funding for the Child Care Development Block Grant to provide child care assistance to health care sector employees, emergency responders, sanitation workers, and other workers deemed essential during the response to the coronavirus.
• $30.75 billion in emergency support to local school systems and higher education institutions, which will include millions in grants to the University of Delaware and Delaware State University.
• Protections for AmeriCorps members whose terms of service are interrupted so that they can continue to receive their Segal Education Awards.

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[VIDEO] Sen. Coons on COVID-19 stimulus: ‘Pass it through this chamber’

WASHINGTON — Tonight, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) delivered remarks on the Senate floor to discuss the third COVID-19 response package. Early Wednesday, the Senate announced a deal on the largest stimulus package in American history, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Senator Coons is calling for a timely vote to deliver needed aid to first responders, state and local governments, hospitals, and small businesses.

“We cannot all get everything we hoped for, and want, and believe to be important in this bill. We must put down the tools of partisanship and personal interest and sectional concerns. We must put down some of the things we most hoped for. We must put down the tools with which we so often fight each other. And we must come together and take up the implements of national purpose, of compromise, of consensus, and deliver these resources to a nation anxious, concerned, and at times even angry at all of us in the Senate for what they see as too long a delay,” said Senator Coons.“It is time for us to take up this bill, roughhewn as it is, pass it through this chamber, send it to the House. I have urged my colleagues in the House to pass it promptly, send it to the President’s desk for signature and then let us all get to the hard work of making sure we do the best we can for the people we represent with this historic stimulus package; this remarkable coronavirus relief package that is going to deliver $2 trillion of assistance and support to communities all over our country.”

Full audio and video available here. 

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Sen. Coons, colleagues secure six months of loan payment relief for 800+ small businesses in Delaware

$17 billion legislation provides 6 months of relief on SBA loan payments for 320,000 small businesses

SBA loans currently support 854 small businesses across the state of Delaware

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Small Business Committee, and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) announced that their $17 billion Small Business Debt Relief Act is included in the third COVID-19 response package that is expected to be passed into law soon. The legislation ensures that every small business with a loan backed by the Small Business Administration, or SBA, is relieved from loan payments—including principal, interest, and fees—for the next six months.

SBA loans currently support 854 small businesses across the state of Delaware. The leading industry supported with SBA loans is Delaware is the accommodation and food service industry—which is bearing the brunt of the current crisis. In 2018 alone, 170 Delaware food service and accommodation small businesses received SBA loans.

The Small Business Debt Relief Act of 2020 will be a lifeline for a wide range of American small businesses fighting for their survival over the coming months. Senators Coons and Cardin introduced the legislation last Wednesday and fought to include it in the stimulus package.

The bill gets substantial relief to all 320,000 small businesses across the country with SBA-backed loans. The SBA will make six months’ worth of those businesses’ loan payments – both principal and interest. This will stabilize the SBA lending portfolio and enable lenders to focus on getting hundreds of billions in new emergency loans out the door, putting a floor under part of the economy heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Small businesses in Delaware and across the country are already facing devastating impacts from the economic fallout of COVID-19,” said Senator Coons, a member of the Senate Small Business Committee and ranking member of the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee, which funds the SBA. “We have no time to waste to help small businesses and the millions of employees whose livelihoods are at stake right now.  By stabilizing the existing portfolio of government-back business loans, this legislation enables lenders to provide new, emergency loans more quickly and more extensively. This is a new tool, bolder even than measures used during the Financial Crisis, and I’m optimistic that it will provide the relief that small business owners desperately need during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“Small businesses and their workers are under incredible stress right now, and we have to do everything we can to help them weather the economic turmoil caused by the coronavirus pandemic, stay in business, and keep their workers employed,” Senator Klobuchar said. “The Small Business Debt Relief Act will provide immediate financial relief for many small businesses in Minnesota and across the country. I will continue working to support all small businesses during this time of crisis.”

In addition to Senators Coons, Cardin, and Klobuchar, cosponsors of the legislation include U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Angus King (I-Maine), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Patty Murray (D-Wash.). Rep. Antonio Delgado (D-N.Y.) is the sponsor of the Small Business Debt Relief Act in the House of Representatives.

The Small Business Debt Relief Act is endorsed by the National Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders, the Friends of the SBA Microloan Program, the Center for American Entrepreneurship, and the National Association of Development Companies.

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Sen. Coons: $400M in election funding included in final stimulus bill to help expand vote-by-mail, early voting in every state

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), the top Democrat on the Appropriations Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee responsible for the Election Assistance Commission, released the following statement after it was announced that the third stimulus package includes $400 million in election funding. The announcement comes after officials in several states have postponed their presidential primaries due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s very possible that COVID-19 will continue to disrupt American lives through November, and we need to prepare the country to vote if that’s the case. Republican and Democratic officials across the country have encouraged expansions of no-excuse vote-by-mail and early voting – it’s a commonsense initiative to ensure states have the resources they need to effectively administer elections,” said Senator Coons. “The election funding included in the final stimulus package provides important assistance to states to expand access to the polls, but it’s not enough to guarantee full implementation of these critical election reforms. It’s on the federal government to safeguard our constitutional rights and make sure that, even while our country faces this pandemic, we still protect our democracy. I’m going to keep pushing for more funding for expanding vote-by-mail and early voting to ensure no American has to choose between their health and their vote this fall.”

Last week, Senator Coons introduced the Natural Disaster and Emergency Ballot Act of 2020 with U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) to expand no-excuse absentee vote-by-mail to all states, extend early in-person voting in every state to at least 20 days, and reimburse states for additional costs in administering elections during the pandemic. Senators Coons and Klobuchar also wrote a letter to congressional leaders Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Mitch McConnell, and Kevin McCarthy, urging them to include funding to protect our elections in the final stimulus package.

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Sens. Coons, Cardin, Klobuchar secure six months of loan payment relief for small businesses in third COVID-19 response package

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Small Business Committee, and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) announced that their $17 billion Small Business Debt Relief Act is included in the third COVID-19 response package that is expected to be passed into law soon. The legislation ensures that every small business with a loan backed by the Small Business Administration, or SBA, is relieved from loan payments—including principal, interest, and fees—for the next six months.

The Small Business Debt Relief Act of 2020 will be a lifeline for a wide range of American small businesses fighting for their survival over the coming months. Senators Coons and Cardin introduced the legislation last Wednesday and fought to include it in the stimulus package.

The bill gets substantial relief to all 320,000 small businesses across the country with SBA-backed loans. The SBA will make six months’ worth of those businesses’ loan payments – both principal and interest. This will stabilize the SBA lending portfolio and enable lenders to focus on getting hundreds of billions in new emergency loans out the door, putting a floor under part of the economy heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Small businesses in Delaware and across the country are already facing devastating impacts from the economic fallout of COVID-19,” said Senator Coons, a member of the Senate Small Business Committee and ranking member of the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee, which funds the SBA. “We have no time to waste to help small businesses and the millions of employees whose livelihoods are at stake right now.  By stabilizing the existing portfolio of government-back business loans, this legislation enables lenders to provide new, emergency loans more quickly and more extensively. This is a new tool, bolder even than measures used during the Financial Crisis, and I’m optimistic that it will provide the relief that small business owners desperately need during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“Small businesses and their workers are under incredible stress right now, and we have to do everything we can to help them weather the economic turmoil caused by the coronavirus pandemic, stay in business, and keep their workers employed,” Senator Klobuchar said. “The Small Business Debt Relief Act will provide immediate financial relief for many small businesses in Minnesota and across the country. I will continue working to support all small businesses during this time of crisis.”

In addition to Senators Coons, Cardin, and Klobuchar, cosponsors of the legislation include U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Angus King (I-Maine), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Patty Murray (D-Wash.). Rep. Antonio Delgado (D-N.Y.) is the sponsor of the Small Business Debt Relief Act in the House of Representatives.

The Small Business Debt Relief Act is endorsed by the National Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders, the Friends of the SBA Microloan Program, the Center for American Entrepreneurship, and the National Association of Development Companies.

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[VIDEO] Sen. Coons ‘excited about this package and excited to get it out the door’

Sen. Coons: ‘The things that Democrats stood firm for – expanding unemployment [insurance], helping states and counties, investing in hospitals, transparency on the big fund – it was worth a day wait.

Sen. Coons: ‘I am hopeful that the House … will pass it by unanimous consent so this record relief package can get out to the American people.’

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) joined CNBC Squawk Box to discuss the deal made early Wednesday between the Senate and the White House on a $2 trillion spending package.  This third COVID-19 response package offers $150 billion in support for states and counties, expanded unemployment insurance, critical resources for hospitals, and increased transparency measures on a $500 billion fund to aid struggling industries.

“It’s the moment for us to focus on delivering, you know, personal protective equipment to hospitals and doctors and nurses, delivering test kits, restarting our economy, saving jobs. There are millions of people who are desperate for this assistance,” said Senator Coons. “The things that Democrats stood firm for – expanding unemployment [insurance], helping states and counties, investing in hospitals, transparency on the big fund – it was worth a day wait. I’m excited about this package and excited to get it out the door.”

Full audio and video available here. 

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