{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.manchin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/manchin-mcconnells-partisan-ppp-bill-doesnt-address-needs-of-west-virginians", "Manchin: McConnell's Partisan PPP Bill Doesn't Address Needs Of West Virginians", "2020-10-20", "2020", "2020-10", "Democrat", "House", "WV", "Joe Manchin", "M001183", "www.manchin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "October 20, 2020\n\t\t\t Manchin: McConnell's Partisan PPP Bill Doesn't Address Needs Of West Virginians \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, DC  Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV)\r\nvoted against Mitch McConnell's partisan Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) bill\r\nbecause it does not address the needs of West Virginia small businesses that\r\ndesperately need help right now. West Virginians know I am always trying to work with my\r\nRepublican colleagues to find compromises that solve the issues facing us.\r\nSince we have not been able to come to an agreement on a larger COVID relief\r\npackage, I am not opposed to a piecemeal approach like voting on a standalone\r\nPPP bill. This is the first COVID relief bill we have voted on in over a month\r\nand it should have been bipartisan and all-inclusive to help everyone that's\r\nstruggling. But once again, Mitch McConnell has refused to engage in bipartisan\r\ndiscussions and his partisan PPP proposal is a fraction of what is necessary to\r\nstop the bleeding for West Virginia small businesses. It doesn't provide our\r\nrural hospitals, nonprofits, local newspapers and broadcasters, live music\r\nvenues and restaurants with the help they desperately need to stay afloat. But\r\nin order to do that we must reach across the aisle and put partisanship aside.\r\nIn the meantime, Mitch McConnell's political games are costing West Virginia\r\nsmall business owners and employees their livelihoods so he can score cheap\r\npolitical points, said Senator Manchin. West Virginia small businesses who are left out of\r\nMitch McConnell's partisan PPP proposal Critical Access Hospitals  While important changes\r\nwere made in May to allow community-owned hospitals to participate in PPP, this\r\nbill does not address the issue still facing small hospitals in rural areas\r\nthat are affiliated with a larger network like West Virginia University. This\r\nincludes hospitals like St. Joseph's Hospital (Buckhannon), Potomac Valley\r\nHospital (Keyser), and Jefferson Medical Center (Ranson). Nonprofits  While the bill will help some 501(c)(6)\r\norganizations with under 150 employees, many small and medium sized 501(c)(6)\r\norganizations would still be excluded. The National Council for Nonprofits\r\nestimates that at least 2,000 nonprofits would be left out of the McConnell PPP\r\nproposal. This includes, most state and metro chambers of commerce and well\r\nknow organizations like the American Heart Association, the American Lung\r\nAssociation, Habitat for Humanity, YMCA, March of Dimes, Ducks Unlimited, and\r\nmany more. Local Newspapers and Broadcasters  The bill does not\r\ninclude expanded eligibility to allow local newspapers and broadcasters to\r\naccess PPP loans. Under current law, only a small fraction are eligible to\r\nparticipate in PPP. This includes West Virginia news outlets like WTOV\r\n(Wheeling), WCHS (Charleston-Huntington), WVAH (Charleston-Huntington), WOWK\r\n(Charleston/Huntington), WTRF (Wheeling), WVNS (Ghent), WBOY (Clarksburg), West\r\nVirginia Radio Corporation with 63 affiliates covering all 55 West Virginia\r\ncounties, WWVA Radio (Wheeling), The Inter-Mountain (Elkins), The Journal\r\n(Martinsburg), The Parkersburg News and Sentinel (Parkersburg), Weirton Daily\r\nTimes (Weirton), Wheeling Intelligencer (Wheeling), The Shepherdstown Chronicle\r\n(Shepherdstown), The Wetzel Chronicle (New Martinsville) and The Tyler Star\r\nNews (Sistersville). Restaurants  While restaurants remain eligible for\r\nPPP loans, McConnell's PPP proposal does not include tailored assistance to\r\naddress the specific challenges  such as access to working capital - facing\r\nthe restaurant industry right now. 75% of West Virginia's roughly 3,300\r\nrestaurants and bars are at risk of closure without tailored assistance. Live Music Venues and Theaters  Similar to\r\nrestaurants, live music venues and theaters are generally eligible to\r\nparticipate in PPP, but they need immediate access to working capital more than\r\nfunding for payroll expenses. This includes West Virginia venues like Smoot\r\nTheater (Parkersburg), Historic Fayette Theatre (Fayetteville), Keith Albee\r\n(Huntington), Rose G. Smith PAC (Williamson), V Club (Huntington), 123 Pleasant\r\nSt (Morgantown), Landes Performing Arts Center (Petersburg), Raleigh Theater\r\n(Beckley), Chuck Mathena Center (Princeton), Strand Theater (Moundsville),\r\nAlban Theater (St. Albans), The Capitol Theatre (Wheeling), Carnegie Hall\r\n(Lewisburg), Clay Center for the Arts (Charleston), Logan Theatre (Logan),\r\nMetropolitan Theatre (Morgantown), Pocahontas County Opera House (Marlinton),\r\nRobinson Grand Performing Arts Center (Clarksburg) and Shiley Acres Concert\r\nStage (Inwood). Small Borrowers  Many West Virginia mom and pop\r\nshops who received small PPP loans do not have the resources to navigate the\r\nlengthy, bureaucratic forgiveness process. This bill does not do enough to\r\nsimplify that process.", 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.manchin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/manchin-mcconnells-partisan-ppp-bill-doesnt-address-needs-of-west-virginians"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.2917699534446, "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"}