Thurday, April 2, 2020
Today’s federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic included announcements from the White House, various federal agencies and the Federal Reserve, as well as continued interest in additional Congressional efforts. Below is a synopsis of actions over the last 24 hours.
Paycheck Protection Program Loan Program Update
From the U.S. Department of Treasury: Starting April 3, 2020, small businesses and sole proprietorships can apply for and receive loans to cover their payroll and other certain expenses through existing SBA lenders.
- See the Department of Treasury Paycheck Protection Program Fact Sheet here.
- See the PPP Loan Application posted by the Department of Treasury here.
Congress
- House Democrats continue efforts to develop a “phase four” response, expected later this month
- As reported in our last update, House Speaker Pelosi held a Wednesday press conference to discuss potential infrastructure investments as part of the next response package
- See transcript of the call here; more from Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman DeFazio here; and a statement from Ranking Member Graves here
- Today, House Speaker Pelosi announced the creation of the House Select Committee on the Coronavirus Crisis; read more about the new oversight panel here
- As previously reported, neither chamber is expected to return to Washington until at least April 20 – although remote work continues
Recent Congressional Letters and Resources
- Senators Cardin, Schumer, Sanders, and Coons Call On SBA To Quickly Implement CARES Act Programs Designed To Help Small Businesses And Nonprofits Stay Afloat Amid Public Health Crisis, April 2, 2020
- Senator Murray, Representative DeLauro to DOL: Remove Loopholes for Employers from Paid Leave Guidance, April 2, 2020
- Senate Energy Chair Murkowski to Mnuchin: Federal Loans to Energy Industry Will Save Jobs, Protect Security, April 2, 2020
- Senate Finance Committee
- House Financial Services Committee
White House / Agency Activity
White House
Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service
Health and Human Services (HHS)
HHS / Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
HHS / Food and Drug Administration
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Department of Energy
Environmental Protection Agency
Department of Transportation
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Federal Communications Commission
Federal Reserve
State / Local Activity
Given the plethora of state and local actions, we recommend MultiState’s COVID-19 Policy Tracker as a comprehensive tool to monitor the response
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