{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-op-ed-in-hartford-courant-congress-needs-to-pass-a-covid-relief-bill-to-help-save-connecticuts-small-businesses", "Murphy Op-Ed In Hartford Courant: Congress Needs To Pass A COVID Relief Bill To Help Save Connecticuts Small BusinessesRead More", "2020-11-28", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "House", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Murphy Op-Ed In Hartford Courant: Congress Needs To Pass A COVID Relief Bill To Help Save Connecticut's Small Businesses \n        \n        November 28, 2020\n      \n        \n          HARTFORDU.S. Senator\r\nChris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Saturday published an op-ed\r\nin the Hartford Courant encouraging\r\npeople in Connecticut to supportsmall businesses on Small Business\r\nSaturday, and renewed his call for Congress to pass a COVID-19 relief bill\r\naimed at helping small businesses stay afloat ahead of a harsh winter season.\r\nThe op-ed was inspired by a listening\r\nsession Murphy held with small business owners in Connecticut as\r\nwell as a small business walking tour in Middletown last week. Right now, small\r\nbusinesses across our state are hanging on for dear life, doing everything they\r\ncan to keep their doors open and their employees on payroll. These businesses\r\nare cornerstones of our communities, and they keep our state's economy running.\r\nThis is no exaggeration  over half of Connecticut workers are employed by\r\nsmall businesses,Murphy wrote. If I could have had it\r\nmy way, Senate Republicans would have let us vote on the HEROES Act, which the\r\nHouse of Representatives passed over 180 days ago, Murphy continued.\r\nThis comprehensive bill would increase the amount of forgivable loans\r\navailable to small businesses through the Paycheck Protection Program, send\r\nanother $1,200 check to Americans, extend unemployment benefits, and provide\r\nstates with the resources they need to contain this virus and prepare a massive\r\nvaccination campaign. And while we have our\r\nwork cut out for us in Washington, we can all do our part to support local\r\nstores here in Connecticut. Today is Small Business Saturday, a day where we\r\ncelebrate, and spend money in, our small business retailers. So I encourage you\r\nto safely support a small business in your community, Murphy added. Murphy concluded:The small\r\nbusinesses that power our economy need help right now. And that help can come\r\nfrom the government, in the form of a new stimulus bill, but it can also come\r\nfrom consumers, who decide to spend their dollars this holiday season at locally\r\nowned businesses. When it comes to supporting our local economy, we all have a\r\nrole to play. Click here\r\nto read the op-ed in full. ###", 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.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-op-ed-in-hartford-courant-congress-needs-to-pass-a-covid-relief-bill-to-help-save-connecticuts-small-businesses"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5214330051094294, "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"}