This Week in the Office of Senator Marco Rubio
On Thursday, as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, I released an update on the Paycheck Protection Program, which is in its first full week of operation. According to recent reports, more than 480,000 loans valued at more than $124 billion were approved as of 2:30 PM EDT, Thursday, April 9. Read more here.
On Thursday, as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, I released a statement after Senate Democrats blocked an additional $250 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program. Congress recently appropriated $349 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program through the CARES Act. However, the program needs more funding to meet the demands of small and medium-sized businesses due to the pandemic. The Trump Administration requested the additional $250 billion to meet the challenges of these unprecedented times. Read more here.
On Thursday, I joined U.S. Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) and 25 bipartisan members of the Florida congressional delegation in urging U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Perdue to provide immediate relief to Florida’s agricultural producers. Florida’s vast agriculture industry has been hit especially hard amidst the current coronavirus pandemic. Florida is a unique contributor to the nation’s food supply, and deserves special attention. Read more here.
On Monday, I joined CNBC’s Squawk Box to discuss the roll-out of the Paycheck Protection Program, a key provision of my bipartisan Keeping American Workers Paid and Employed Act that was signed into law as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and provides more than $377 billion for small businesses to meet their payroll and expenses throughout the coronavirus pandemic. Watch the full interview here.
On Thursday, Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) and I wrote a letter to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Peter Gaynor requesting that FEMA issue guidance for Floridians to prepare for the 2020 hurricane season. With less than two months before the official start to the hurricane season, and with the current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention protocols for social distancing, proper planning must begin to keep Floridians safe and healthy in the event of a storm. Read more here.
On Wednesday, I joined Senate colleagues in a letter to the Trump Administration urging flexibility for how state and local governments can use funds included in the recently enacted CARES Act. The Coronavirus Relief Fund provides critical revenue for state and local governments to keep operations going and stabilize economic activity in communities across the country. Florida is set to receive approximately $8 billion in funding. In our letter, we urged Treasury Secretary Mnuchin to publish guidance that cuts red tape and gives states and local governments flexibility to use these funds to address the needs and challenges of their community. Read more here.
On Tuesday, I joined Senate colleagues in a bipartisan letter to Secretary Alex M. Azar II and Administrator Seema Verma encouraging both the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to develop ways to ensure beneficiaries are able to access necessary medications at home without risking exposure to COVID-19 or overburdening our healthcare workers as we continue to battle this pandemic. Read more here.
On Tuesday, I issued the following statement after President Trump announced his Administration will withhold funds to the World Health Organization (WHO). I previously called for a review of U.S. funding to the WHO as well as accountability for WHO’s leadership, including Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, after its mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic that originated in Wuhan, China. Read more here.
On Wednesday, I joined Fox & Friends to discuss Florida’s coronavirus response and China’s influence over the WHO, as well as to provide an update on the Paycheck Protection Program. Watch the full interview here.
Last Friday, as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, I joined Representatives Nydia Velazquez (D-NY), and Steve Chabot (R-OH), Chair and Ranking Member of the House Small Business Committee, in sending a letter to Jovita Carranza, Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), clarifying congressional intent of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which temporarily expands eligibility for impacted entities to access low-interest loans due to COVID-19 through the agency’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. In doing so, the law intended to allow farms and agricultural businesses, which do not have access to typical disaster assistance resources offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture during physical disasters, to be eligible for EIDL during this current pandemic crisis. Read more here.
In Case You Missed It...
“Marco Rubio Finds His Next Act” (POLITICO, 04/06/20)
“‘Good news! Significant increase today in the number of lenders & loans... Daily improvement continues & will accelerate as Treasury guidance has provided more clarity,’ tweeted Republican Senator Marco Rubio, who has been pushing the SBA and Treasury, which are jointly administering the program, to fix a number of snags.” (Hundreds of U.S. lenders get access to small-business rescue program with new system launch, Reuters, 04/08/20)
“On Wednesday, Senator Marco Rubio announced more than $63 million is being distributed across 47 health centers in the state.” ($63 million in federal funds being distributed through Florida, My Panhandle, 04/08/20)
“Sen. Marco Rubio rejects President Donald Trump's characterization that federal efforts to help small businesses survive the coronavirus crisis have been ‘flawless,’ but the Florida Republican said the situation is improving and Congress should approve at least $200 billion more to meet a continuing ‘stampede’ of demand.” ('A stampede': Marco Rubio says non-stop demand for small business rescue program is straining capacity, USA Today, 04/07/20)
“Changes to emergency small business loans process on the way, Rubio says'” (Channel 9 Orlando, 04/07/20)
“GOP Senator Marco Rubio, chairman of the Small Business Committee, said he asked Mnuchin to make a formal request for at least $200 billion more for the program as soon as possible.” (McConnell Moves on Quick Aid Vote While Pelosi Urges More Cash, Bloomberg, 04/07/20)
“Marco Rubio, the architect of the stimulus plan’s PPP program, said Monday that the SBA was working with Amazon on trying to upgrade that system.” (Federal Reserve announces support for small business lending program, Miami Herald, 04/06/20)
“Marco Rubio reiterates need to review U.S. funding for World Health Organization” (Florida Politics, 04/08/20)
“Marco Rubio expects the Senate to pass at least one more coronavirus relief bill” (CNBC, 04/06/20)
“Marco Rubio Urges Treasury Department to Provide States Flexibility in Using Coronavirus Relief Fund” (Florida Daily, 04/09/20)
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