{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.gardner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/gardner-statement-on-partisans-blocking-paycheck-protection-program-extension", "Gardner Statement on Partisans Blocking Paycheck Protection Program Extension", "2020-10-20", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Cory Gardner", "G000562", "www.gardner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) released the following statement after Senate Democrats blocked a measure that would provide an additional round of the PaycheckProtection Program (PPP) to help small businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic.\r\nThis continued partisan obstruction of COVID-19 relief shows that Senate Democrats are more comfortable with people in the unemployment insurance office instead of on their employer's payroll,said Senator Gardner.The Paycheck Protection Program has provided over $10 billion to help make sure that businesses in Colorado can stay open and keep people on payroll, and small business owners across our state have told me the Paycheck Protection Program saved their businesses  and that they desperately need another round to keep their businesses afloat. Colorado needs help to get through this pandemic; it's absurd that partisan politics would stop this important lifeline from reaching the American people.\r\nYou can read more about Senator Gardner's actions to protect Coloradans from COVID-19here.\r\nGardner is consistently requesting improvements to the Paycheck Protection Program to better serve Coloradans:\r\n \r\nIn September 2020, Gardner voted for theDelivering Immediate Relief to America's Families, Schools, and Small Businesses Act, which provided changes to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to allow for a second load and simplified the loan forgiveness application process for current and future PPP recipients receiving loans of $150,000 or less.\r\nGardner and six of his Senate colleaguesurged Senate leadershipto increase flexibility for restaurant owners and food supply chain workers under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) in July 2020.\r\nGardner joined theReviving the Economy Sustainably Towards a Recovery in Twenty-twenty (RESTART) Actin July 2020 to give businesses that took out PPP loans the flexibility they need to utilize the PPP effectively.\r\nIn July 2020, Gardner introduced thePaycheck Protection Program Extension and Modification Act of 2020, which would allow recipients of the PPP who have already received a PPP loan apply for a second loan and extend the deadline to apply for PPP loans through December 31, 2020.\r\nGardner urged U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin and Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Jovita Carranza toease the paperwork requirementsfor small businesses seeking loan forgiveness under the PPP in June 2020.\r\nIn June 2020, the President signed into law a version of thePaycheck Protection Flexibility Act, which Gardner introduced with Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Steve Daines (R-MT) to extend the PPP loan period and provide greater flexibility to loan holders.\r\nGardner called on the leaders of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship to work toextend the loan forgivenessperiod and rehire date for the PPP.\r\nGardnersecured new guidancefrom the Small Business Administration (SBA) to allow partnerships and seasonal employers to increase their PPP loan amounts.\r\nGardnersecured guidancefrom the U.S. Department of the Treasury clarifying that rural electric cooperatives with fewer than 500 employees are eligible for the PPP.\r\nGardner introduced bipartisan legislation with Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) toincrease the length of timethat businesses have to spend PPP funds from 8-16 weeks.\r\nIn a May 2020 letter to his Republican colleagues, Gardnerrequested changes to the PPPbased on his conversations with Colorado small businesses.\r\nGardner and members of the Colorado congressional delegationsecured clarification from the SBAin April 2020 that Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) are eligible for assistance from the PPP.\r\nIn April 2020, Gardner, Governor Jared Polis, and Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO)made a unified requestto improve the CARES Act, including making modifications to PPP, tobetter support Coloradans through COVID-19.\r\n \r\n###\r\nCory Gardner is a member of the U.S. Senate serving Colorado. He sits on the Energy & Natural Resources Committee, the Foreign Relations Committee, the Commerce, Science, & Transportation Committee, and is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.gardner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/gardner-statement-on-partisans-blocking-paycheck-protection-program-extension"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.7004299443215132, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}