{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=399073", "Simpson and Fulcher Sign Discharge Petition to Help Small Businesses", "2020-09-30", "2020", "2020-09", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Simpson", "S001148", "simpson.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Simpson and Fulcher Sign Discharge Petition to Help Small Businesses\r\n\r\nWashington, D.C. - Idaho Congressmen Mike Simpson and Russ Fulcher have signed a discharge petition calling for a vote on H.R. 8265, a bill to extend the popular Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) through the end of the year and release nearly $135 billion in unspent funds. The bill would also reform the application process to allow certain businesses who meet specific requirements to apply for a second loan as the pandemic continues to harm economic conditions.\r\nIt is frustrating that Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats continue to block a vote on commonsense legislation to help small businesses who are being harmed by the economic impacts of COVID-19, said Simpson. H.R. 8265 would help businesses keep their doors open and perhaps more importantly, retain employees so American families can continue to receive much needed paychecks. I don't understand why supporting a program that helps keep people employed is controversial. Just last night, Democrats released a plan to spend an additional $2.3 trillion instead of allowing agencies to spend existing funds to help Americans. This type of thinking is why we are fast approaching a national debt of $27 trillion when a simple solution to use existing resources is right in front of us.\r\nHelping small businesses stay afloat during a pandemic should not be a partisan issue, said Fulcher. Despite support from many members of Speaker Pelosi's own party to put politics aside and bring up a vote on a clean extension of the PPP program, it still hasn't happened. Instead, like last night, we see ultra-partisan bills, with no chance of becoming law, being brought up. Already the PPP program has saved over 50 million jobs, and there is still money in the program. I am proud to support this discharge petition to show our small businesses that they are much more important than political games.\r\nIf the discharge petition reaches 218 signatures, it would allow for a vote on H.R. 8265 in the U.S. House of Representatives. \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": ["http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=399073"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.6697533428668976, "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"}