Congressman Antonio Delgado joined colleagues Monday to pass a bipartisan legislative package that will provide American families and businesses with urgently needed pandemic relief.
The package is comprised of a $1.4 trillion FY21 budget and a $900 billion COVID-19 assistance package.
Before casting his vote, Representative Delgado spoke on Facebook Live to explain critical provisions within both bills.
“This legislation is the first of many steps required to meet the needs of our localities throughout this public health emergency,” he said.
“I am particularly proud that this bill expands loan relief for small businesses in the same vein as my Small Business Debt Relief Extension Act, provides additional funding through CFAP 2 for farmers impacted by COVID-19, adopts a version of my Prioritized Paycheck Protection Program, which gives certain small businesses a chance to apply for a second round of PPP, and includes a version of my Strengthening Financial Aid for Students Act, which allows more students the ability to balance work with higher education opportunities.
“While this legislative package provides long overdue support for our communities, I remain deeply disappointed by the failure to include meaningful, direct funding to state and local governments…Our work is far from over and I will continue to push for further, comprehensive relief.”
The relief package provides for another round of stimulus checks of $600 for individuals making up to $75,000.
Under this bill, a family of four would receive $2,400 in direct payments.
The legislation also extends critically important unemployment programs, including $300 per week in extended unemployment insurance for 12 million Americans. In addition, the package provides funding for the procurement and distribution of vaccines, testing, tracing, and COVID-19 mitigation programs.
This bill also includes $82 billion for education, $10 billion for child care, $25 billion in rental assistance, and $13 billion to combat food insecurity.
The relief package also includes:
Extended Debt Relief for Small Businesses: The package builds on Representative Delgado’s Small Business Repayment Relief Act, which was signed into law as part of the bipartisan CARES Act.
The original bill provided $17 billion for automatic loan repayment for small businesses.
This package includes $3.5 billion to extend this debt relief for all eligible loans for four months and provides six months of relief to small businesses in industries hardest hit by the pandemic.
Improvements to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP): The package includes $284 billion in additional PPP funding and allows the hardest hit small businesses to apply for a second forgivable PPP loan. The package ensures small businesses can deduct PPP loans, and simplifies the forgiveness process for loans of $150,000 or less.
Expanded Economic Injury Disaster Loans: The bill also adds $20 billion to the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Advance Grants.
This will ensure small businesses and nonprofits in low-income communities can access the $10,000 grants.
Assistance for Independent Restaurants & Live Entertainment Venues: The package includes added flexibilities within PPP to work better for independent restaurants and $15 billion for live venues, independent movie theaters and cultural institutions.
Representative Delgado is a cosponsor of the RESTAURANTS Act, which would provide additional funding to independent restaurants, and the Save Our Stages (SOS) Act, which creates a $10 billion grant program to provide grants to live venue operators, producers, promoters and talent representatives.
Direct Assistance to Farmers: The package includes an additional $13 billion in agricultural assistance and programs, including direct payments, purchases, and loans to farmers and ranchers who have suffered losses due to the pandemic.
Funding for Farming Opportunities Training and Outreach (FOTO): The legislation passed Monday incorporates $75 million in funds for FOTO.
This will support groups working with beginning, socially disadvantaged, and veteran farmers and ranchers. The funds will support financial assistance, marketing advice and technical assistance as these farmers and ranchers are responding to this difficult market.
Federal funding to expand rural broadband: This legislative package includes $7 billion for broadband deployment, with $300 million specifically assigned to support rural areas.
Strengthening Financial Aid for Students: The package includes a 35 percent increase for the FAFSA Income Protection Allowance.
This increase will better reflect the costs of basic needs like food and rent to ensure working students are not penalized when qualifying for financial aid. Rep. Delgado introduced the Strengthening Financial Aid for Students Act, which fortifies the Income Protection Allowance.