{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2020/12/sen-moran-statement-on-covid-19-relief-package", "Sen. Moran Statement on COVID-19 Relief Package", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KS", "Jerry Moran", "M000934", "www.moran.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) today released the following statement after voting to pass the targeted COVID-19 relief package:\r\nLast week marked the beginning of our return to normal with the distribution of the first COVID-19 vaccines in Kansas and across the country. This was a historic moment as we work to end this pandemic, and today we are providing additional targeted relief to support front-line workers, schools and hospitals. This targeted relief package also includes additional funding for the successful Paycheck Protection Program, which will help keep small businesses open and employees on the payroll, and a second round of aid to families during the holiday season.\r\nThis targeted relief package should have been completed months ago, but ultimately I'm pleased that many of my priorities were included and that it provides necessary resources to continue manufacturing and distributing the vaccines to our communities.\r\nSen. Moran's priorities included in the targeted COVID-19 relief package:\r\n \r\nIncrease flexibility for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to help those that have fallen through the cracks.\r\nSimplify and improve PPP loan forgiveness, including a solution to the conflicting treatment of EIDL advanced payments and the unnecessary subtraction from PPP forgiveness.\r\nEnsure qualified business expenses paid for by PPP loans are tax-deductible.\r\nProvide direct, set-aside support for live event venues.\r\nExtend the deadline for expenditures from the Coronavirus Relief Fund, allowing states and local governments to strategically target areas of need over a longer period of time.\r\n \r\n \r\nCreate additional flexibilities for rural hospitals, including removing restrictions on mental health visits provided via telehealth.\r\nProvide additional funding for testing, contact tracing and development and supplies resources for the Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC) to monitor the distribution and administration of the COVID-19 vaccine.\r\nProvide support to federal broadband deployment efforts, including dedicated funding to rural broadband connectivity, telehealth grants, improvements to broadband availability maps to ensure taxpayer dollars are directed to unserved communities, and the removal and replacement of equipment from foreign entities that pose national security risks to U.S. networks and consumers.\r\n \r\n \r\nProvide relief for farmers and ranchers, including cattle producers affected by CFAP sales date.\r\nEstablish grant program for small packers to upgrade facilities to become federally inspected and be able to sell across state lines.\r\nAllow state departments of agriculture to supplement ongoing farm stress initiatives.\r\nInclude funding for commodity purchases for food banks.\r\nProvide support for Amtrak and other critical transportation industries hit particularly hard during this pandemic.\r\n \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.moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2020/12/sen-moran-statement-on-covid-19-relief-package"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9739301167428493, "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"}