Happening on the Hill

Extract from article by Zachary Sherwood and Brandon Lee posted in Bloomberg Government on June 25, 2020.

Over $100 Billion in PPP Loans Left Unclaimed:

Back in April, when the U.S. Small Business Administration was approving about $25 billion in coronavirus loans a day, lawmakers and companies were concerned that $669 billion in relief would run dry, leaving countless mom-and-pop firms hanging. Yet the Paycheck Protection Program had more than $100 billion in funding left as of last Saturday, with only days remaining until the SBA stops taking new applications on June 30.

The PPP loans were a lifeline for the more than 4.7 million companies that got assistance — with an unprecedented $516.5 billion approved over two rounds in less than three months. Still, demand waned after an initial barrage. Millions of the smallest and most vulnerable firms didn’t know they were eligible or didn’t apply because the complicated program didn’t meet their needs. Now, there’s debate in Congress about what to do with the leftover PPP money, and how to reach those businesses as the economy reopens in the midst of new virus outbreaks across the country. […]

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