09.10.20

Sullivan Votes for Targeted Pandemic Relief Package

The measure, filibustered by Senate Democrats, fails to advance

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) today voted for the Delivering Immediate Relief to America’s Families, Schools, and Small Businesses Act. The targeted pandemic relief package was blocked by Senate Democrats, failing to reach the 60-vote margin necessary for the measure to advance.

“Over the past five weeks, I’ve heard from Alaskans about their priorities for a new COVID-19 relief bill—renewing the Paycheck Protection Program, extending the deadline to use CARES Act resources, replenishing the fishermen relief fund, offering child care support for returning workers, reopening our schools safely, and supporting our front-line health care workers, among other important measures,” said Senator Sullivan. “Those strongly bipartisan provisions make up the targeted package that we voted on today. Unfortunately, Senate Democrats filibustered this bill, holding out for the $3.5 trillion dollar so-called ‘HEROES Act,’ at the direction of Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi. This was a missed opportunity for a bipartisan achievement, but I’ll keep working with my colleagues to reach compromise and an agreement that will drive our battle against the virus and a strong economic recovery.”

The Delivering Immediate Relief to America’s Families, Schools, and Small Businesses Act would:

  • Establish a new, renewed Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for small businesses that demonstrate at least a 35% loss in gross revenue. The program would be available to 501(c)6 organizations and have a simplified forgiveness process for smaller PPP loans.
  • Allow seasonal and fishing businesses that were not fully able to take advantage of regulation changes secured by the Alaska delegation an opportunity to modify their PPP loans to increase loan amounts. 
  • Provide liability protections for front-line employers to offer work opportunities, including for fishing vessel owners.
  • Extend the deadline for states, municipalities, tribes and other local governments to use resources already appropriated by the CARES Act until September 30, 2021. 
  • Provide a $300-per-week extension through the end of 2020 of the federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation Program.
  • Provide $500 million in direct federal assistance to fishermen, processors, and fishing communities impacted by the pandemic.
  • Authorize grants and resources to improve America’s domestic manufacturing of vital medical supplies, and to ensure state and national stockpiles are prepared for the ongoing pandemic and future emergencies. 
  • Provide $31 billion for COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics; $16 billion to continue expanding testing; $14 billion for states and tribes for coronavirus mitigation, including $500 million particularly for the Indian Health Service; and $15 billion in grants for child care support.
  • Provide $105 billion to support students and the safe opening and running of schools.
  • Provide $10 billion to the U.S. Postal Service.

 

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