{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/newsroom/press/menendez-booker-outline-how-nj-families-small-businesses-benefit-from-covid-19-relief-package", "Menendez, Booker Outline How NJ Families, Small Businesses Benefit from COVID-19 Relief PackageRead More", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "NEWARK, N.J. \r\nU.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker today detailed how New Jersey will\r\nbenefit from the COVID-19 relief package that was passed by Congress and signed\r\ninto law earlier this week. The senators, who both voted in favor of the\r\nbipartisan package, secured at least $7.2 billion for New Jersey. Both senators\r\nare committed to passing additional funding bills to address the ongoing health\r\nand economic crisis. Click the links\r\nto view Sen. Menendez's and Sen. Booker's statements on the\r\nbipartisan relief package. Below is a\r\nbreakdown of the funding, including how much New Jersey is estimated to receive\r\nbased on projections and existing funding formulas, but are not final pending\r\nofficial allocation. Financial\r\nAssistance for New Jersey Families \r\n$3,928,997,000\r\nin Direct Payments for New Jersey Families. Over 92% of single tax filers and eight-in-ten\r\njoint-filers in New Jersey will receive payments up to $600 for individuals\r\nearning less than $75,000 and $1,200 for couples earning less than $150,000,\r\nplus $600 per child under the age of 17. o\r\nThe bill ensures that U.S. citizens living in a mixed status\r\nhousehold will receive direct payments and will receive retroactive payments\r\nfrom the CARES Act when they file their 2020 tax return. Under the provision,\r\nat least one of the two parents or heads of household must have a social\r\nsecurity number for all eligible family members to receive a direct payment.  \r\nExtended\r\nUnemployment Insurance (UI).\r\nThe bill provides an extra $300 a week in addition to\r\none's base unemployment compensation benefit through March 14, 2021. It also\r\nextends the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program through March 14,\r\n2021, which will ensure self-employed individuals and gig workers have access\r\nto UI benefits, and adds 11 more weeks of eligibility for thePandemic\r\nEmergency Unemployment Compensation program.  \r\n$591,000,000\r\nin rental assistance prioritized for those most in need. Funds can be used to pay for\r\nrent, utilities and home energy costs, and housing stability services.  \r\nExtends\r\nthe eviction moratorium\r\nuntil January 31, 2021.  \r\n15%\r\nincrease in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits through June 30, 2021.  State and\r\nLocal Funding \r\nThe\r\nbill does not include additional funding for state and local governments, but\r\ndoes extend the deadline for state and local governments to expend the $150\r\nbillion provided in the CARES Act until December 31, 2021. Both Sens. Menendez\r\nand Booker remain committed to including additional state and local resources\r\nin any future COVID-19 relief package.  Help for\r\nNJ's Small Businesses  \r\nPaycheck Protection Program (PPP). The bill extends PPP and\r\nprovides an additional $284 billion in funding. o Expands eligibility to local\r\nnews outlets and 501(c)6 nonprofits. o Dedicates $15 billion in\r\nfunding for live venues, independent movie theaters and cultural institutions. o Sets aside $15 billion for\r\nPPP loans to be issued by smaller financial institutions with $10 billion or\r\nless in assets. o Dedicates $35 billion for\r\nfirst-time borrowers, $15\r\nbillion of which is for small businesses with 10 or fewer employees or for PPP\r\nloans of $250,000 or less that are made in low-income or moderate income\r\nneighborhoods. o Dedicates $25 billion of\r\nsecond draw loans to be made to small businesses with 10 or fewer employees or\r\nfor PPP loans of $250,000 or less that are made in low-income or moderate\r\nincome neighborhoods. o Allows PPP borrowers to\r\ndeduct ordinary business expenses like rent and payroll costs. o Adds costs related to\r\npersonal protective equipment and outdoor dining as eligible and forgivable\r\nexpenses. o Simplifies the forgiveness\r\nprocess for loans of $150,000 and less.  \r\nTargeted Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Grant Program. The bill creates a $20\r\nbillion EIDL grant program which offers $10,000 for small businesses with 25\r\nemployees or less or for small businesses in low-income communities.  Help for\r\nNJ's Health Care System \r\n$8.75\r\nbillion, including $103,335,811 for New Jersey for\r\nvaccine distribution, planning, promotion, monitoring and tracking.  \r\n$22.4\r\nbillion for testing and contract tracing, including $525,432,205\r\nmillion for the state.  Support\r\nfor NJ's Schools and Child Care Providers \r\n$54.3\r\nbillion to support K-12 education, including $1,230,972,000 for New Jersey schools.  \r\n$22.7\r\nbillion, including $512,040,000 to support New Jersey's\r\ninstitutions of higher education.  \r\n$98,971,000\r\nfor Governor Murphy to\r\nallocate to the hardest hit schools districts and institutions of higher\r\neducation. This funding is from the $4.05 billion Governor's Emergency\r\nEducation Relief Fund.  \r\n$179,491,309\r\nto support New Jersey's\r\nchild care providers. The funding is from the $10 billion fund for Child Care\r\nand Development Block Grants  Help for\r\nNJ's Transportation Network \r\n Of the $14 billion allocated\r\n     for transit agencies, New Jersey will receive a significant share of a\r\n     combined $5,924,788,143.50 being directed to the New York-Newark,\r\n     Philadelphia, Atlantic City and Allentown, Pa., metro areas. \r\n  \r\n $1 billion for\r\n     Amtrak, including $ 655.43 million for\r\n     the Northeast Corridor.\r\n  \r\n $40 million\r\n     to support New Jersey's airports from the $2 billion airport\r\n     fund.\r\n  \r\n $10 billion for state\r\n     Departments of Transportation, including $248.2 million for New Jersey\r\n     DOT through the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program. \r\n  ###", 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.menendez.senate.gov/newsroom/press/menendez-booker-outline-how-nj-families-small-businesses-benefit-from-covid-19-relief-package"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4261568430811167, "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"}