Bergman Supports PPP Extension, Additional Funding for Rural Hospitals

Washington - Today, the House voted 388-5 on H.R. 266, the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act. Rep. Bergman spoke on the House floor in support of the bill and highlighted the specific needs of rural small businesses and health care providers. Rep. Bergman issued the following statement:

"After nearly two weeks of needless delay, today we brought this important legislation across the finish line in the House to ensure the Paycheck Protection Program has additional funding. First District workers, small businesses, and rural hospitals are struggling in the wake of the Coronavirus crisis. This legislation gives small businesses and hospitals across the First District access to economic relief as their lives and livelihoods are impacted by the health and economic strains we are facing," said Rep. Bergman.

The Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act includes:

• $310 billion additional for the Paycheck Protection Program;
• Including $30 billion in guaranteed loans for lenders with less than $10 billion in assets.
• $10 billion Economic Injury Disaster loans;
• $50 billion for the Disaster Loans Program Account;
• Provisions to include small farm businesses in the EIDL program;
• $75 billion for reimbursements to hospitals and healthcare providers to support the need for COVID-19 related expenses and lost revenue;
• $825 million for Community Health Centers and rural health clinics
• $25 billion to expand COVID-19 testing capacity; specifically:
• $11 billion for states, localities, territories, and tribes to develop, purchase, administer, process, and analyze COVID-19 tests, scale-up laboratory capacity, trace contacts, and support employer testing. Funds are also made available to employers for testing. 
• $1 billion provided to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for surveillance, epidemiology, laboratory capacity expansion, contact tracing, public health data surveillance, and analytics infrastructure modernization.
• $1.8 billion provided to the National Institutes of Health to develop, validate, improve, and implement testing and associated technologies; to accelerate research, development, and implementation of point-of-care and other rapid testing; and for partnerships with governmental and non-governmental entities to research, develop, and implement the activities.
• $1 billion for the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority for advanced research, development, manufacturing, production, and purchase of diagnostic, serologic, or other COVID-19 tests or related supplies.
• $22 million for the Food and Drug Administration to support activities associated with diagnostic, serological, antigen, and other tests, and related administrative activities.
  
For more information about the Paycheck Protection Program or the Economic Injury Disaster Loan, visit the Small Business Administration resource page HERE.