COLUMN: Lockdowns Destroy Livelihoods
Earlier this year, our economy and our way of life was rocked when the COVID-19 pandemic caused small businesses to shutter their doors. With employees across the country out of work and small business owners wondering if they would ever reopen, Congress enacted the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to ensure businesses could continue to provide paychecks to their employees while we weathered this pandemic storm.
The U.S. Small Business Administration took on the herculean task of distributing these loans at a record pace, and the Paycheck Protection Program resulted in saving over 104,000 in Central Washington jobs.
Unfortunately, more than $138 billion in funding remains untouched in the PPP. The program, which has served as a lifeline for millions of Americans, simply needs to be reauthorized – but Speaker Pelosi has blocked numerous attempts to bring a bill to the floor that would do just that.
To be clear: These funds are being used as a political pawn. Instead of immediately delivering relief to the small businesses who are once again facing state-imposed restrictions and regulations, Speaker Pelosi is politicizing these funds for her own ideological purposes.
For months, she has refused to negotiate anything smaller than a massive relief bill filled with policy riders that fit her agenda. In fact, she recently admitted that she was purposefully waiting for a new President before she would settle for anything less. By doing this, she is demonstrating that small businesses and the millions of Americans who rely on them for employment are not her priority.
I have joined House Republicans in advocating for a targeted relief package that will help our communities and our economy rebound from the pandemic.
Earlier this year, I introduced the FIRST Act – a bill to allow businesses who received Paycheck Protection Program funding to utilize the program to its full extent and continue taking tax deductions for ordinary business expenses. The FIRST Act will ensure businesses that are struggling to make ends meet are not further impacted when they file their 2020 tax returns. I have been working with my colleagues – both Democrats and Republicans – to ensure this legislation is included in the next bipartisan package of pandemic relief.
Many small businesses that survived the first economic lockdown have been struggling for months – with some hanging on by just a thread. Now, the Governor's latest one-size-fits-all statewide lockdown mandate could be the final straw.
Imposing lockdowns – without critical relief from the federal government – will destroy livelihoods.
With states across the country shutting down for the second or third time, our small businesses are desperate. By opening access to the remaining PPP funds and providing deductions for business expenses, as the FIRST Act does, we can soften the blow of these harsh mandates.
Over the past few months, I have met with small business owners and employees across Central Washington. They all need help. With less than 10 scheduled legislative days remaining in the 116th Congress, this fight is not over. Revitalizing our country and rebuilding our economy remain my top priority, and I will continue working to deliver the desperately-needed funds our small businesses need and deserve.