Economy

Small Business Admin Runs Out Of COVID Loan Money, Needs Congress To Act

Published

2 years ago

April 16, 2020

Staff Writer

The U.S. Small Business Administration is no longer able to accept new applications for the coronavirus emergency loan program after hitting its $349 billion limit Thursday, according to their website. The advance provides businesses with up to $10,000 that doesn’t need to be paid back and is provided for them to stay afloat in the coronavirus pandemic.

“BA is unable to accept new applications at this time for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL)-COVID-19 related assistance program (including EIDL Advances) based on available appropriations funding,” the SBA notice stated.

The SBA reports that the number of applications received in the last 14 days is more than 14 years of loan applications. Their statement continued, “Applicants who have already submitted their applications will continue to be processed on a first-come, first-served basis.”

The message below is brought to you by congressional Democrats. #PaycheckProtectionProgram https://t.co/eaKXRcQMYP pic.twitter.com/63lvR2nvoy

— Cong. Steven Palazzo (@CongPalazzo) April 16, 2020

On March 27, the CARES Act budgeted $376 billion to American businesses and workers. In a joint statement released Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza urged “Congress to appropriate additional funds for the Paycheck Protection Program—a critical and overwhelmingly bipartisan program—at which point we will once again be able to process loan applications, issue loan numbers, and protect millions more paychecks.”

They added, “The high demand we have seen underscores the need for hardworking Americans to have access to relief as soon as possible. We want every eligible small business to participate and get the resources they need.”

U.S. lawmakers remain in a stalemate over appropriating additional funding. In an effort to bridge the partisan gap, Mnuchin is reportedly working with Democrats who voted against the GOP’s $250 billion bill in the Senate last week. The Senate, however, isn’t scheduled to be back in session until April 20, but may be forced to call an emergency session to provide needed funding.

In a letter sent to Republicans last week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer asked for additional funding of hospitals, personal protective equipment (PPE), and the food stamps program to be included in the next bill.

Exactly a week ago today, @SenateMajLdr introduced a one-page bill to fund paychecks for small business employees. Democrats blocked it.

As of this morning, the program is out of money.

This is on you, Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi.https://t.co/JK48SFSHXm

— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) April 16, 2020

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-CA, said Thursday on Twitter that the failure to get additional funding “is on you, Chuck Schumer and Nancy.”

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Nation

White House Confirms It Is Looking Into Shutting Down Oil Pipeline Amid Fuel Crisis

Published

4 days ago

November 27, 2021

Staff Writer

The Biden administration confirmed that it is considering shutting down an oil pipeline in Michigan despite the ongoing fuel crisis in the country.

“Revoking the permits for the [Line 5] pipeline that delivers oil from western Canada across Wisconsin, the Great Lakes and Michigan and into Ontario, would please environmentalists who have urged the White House to block fossil fuel infrastructure, but it would aggravate a rift with Canada and could exacerbate a spike in energy prices that Republicans are already using as a political weapon,” Politico Pro reported. “Killing a pipeline while U.S. gasoline prices are the highest in years could be political poison for Biden, who has seen his approval rating crash in recent months.”

Fox News reporter Peter Doocy asked about the report during Monday’s press briefing, asking, “why is the administration now considering shutting down the Line 5 pipeline from Canada to Michigan?”

“So, Peter, that is inaccurate,” Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre claimed. “That is not right. So, any reporting indicating that some decision has been made, again, is not accurate. … So, again, I would — it is inaccurate what you just stated, but —”

“What’s inaccurate?” Doocy asked.

“The reporting about us wanting to shut down the Line 5,” Jean-Pierre said.

“I didn’t say ‘wanting.’ I said, is it being studied right now? Is the administration studying the impact of shutting down the Line 5?”

“Yeah. Yes, we are. We are,” Jean-Pierre admitted.

DOOCY: "Is the administration studying the impact of shutting down the Line 5?"

JEAN-PIERRE: "Yes we are." pic.twitter.com/V5XKhgcmAJ

— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) November 8, 2021

The news comes as gas prices have reached their highest since 2014, when Biden was vice president, and are currently about 50% higher than they were when Biden entered office.