Political Quotes

“later tonight, the Senate will vote on comprehensive legislation to fund the government throughout the remainder of fiscal year 2021 and to provide additional, long-overdue funding to address the ongoing emergency needs of our country during the persistent COVID-19 pandemic. I am proud to have helped lead a bipartisan, bicameral coalition that literally worked night and day to develop a commonsense plan that provided the foundation for this final agreement. There are many important components of the package before us, including assistance for struggling families; additional funding for testing, vaccine distribution, and healthcare providers; resources to help our schools operate safely in a COVID environment; and aid for the Postal Service and for airlines, airports, mass transit, and motor coach companies that keep our country moving. I come to the floor tonight, however, to focus on one aspect of the agreement, and that is the extension and expansion of the Paycheck Protection Program, better known as PPP. As the Presiding Officer well knows, the PPP has been a critical lifeline for more than 5 million small employers, at one point helping to sustain the jobs of upwards of 50 million Americans. It was one of the most successful programs in the CARES Act. It was so successful that it went through the initial allotment of money in just 13 days, and then we had to pass additional legislation replenishing it.…”