Washington, D.C. – House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA-23) sent the following letter to 23 Democrat members of the House of Representatives who had previously sent a letter to Speaker Pelosi expressing that, “It is our request that you continue to negotiate towards a bipartisan deal. Otherwise, a discharge petition is the only potential option for COVID-19 related action on the House Floor.”
There is currently a Paycheck Protection Program discharge petition, led by Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler, that Democrats are able to join and help small businesses. Leader McCarthy calls on them to sign it, keep true to their word, and help Americans.
Read the full letter below, or read it online here.
Dear Colleague,
On September 27, nearly two months ago, you signed a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi stating: “It is our request that you continue to negotiate towards a bipartisan deal. Otherwise, a discharge petition is the only potential option for COVID-19 related action on the House Floor…”
As we know, no bipartisan deal has yet been reached. Perhaps more discouraging is that after Speaker Pelosi failed to secure a deal before recessing the House ahead of the election, you did not live up to your word to sign Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) discharge petition. This legislation would free up $137.5 billion of unspent PPP funds. It would allow small businesses to take a second PPP loan and extends the PPP deadline until December 31, 2020.
The economic conditions for small businesses were dire back in September. Today, with more economic-lockdowns being imposed, they are fatal.
The Wall Street Journal recently reported that hundreds of companies that received Paycheck Protection Program loans have filed for bankruptcy, citing the lack of additional loans as the pandemic wears on.
But the number of businesses in America going under is much higher. The Washington Post reported that nearly 100,000 businesses nationwide have already shut their doors permanently.
With renewed economic lockdown, brave small business owners and their workers are forced to do the impossible: stay alive through government-imposed lockdowns without any help from the government that imposes them.
Speaker Pelosi’s approach that “nothing” is better than “something” is wrong, and the American people have paid the price. We must get relief that is ready to go to those who need it most. Our neighbors are counting on you to keep to your word and sign the discharge petition. We can get this done today and save countless small businesses from going bankrupt.