WHEATON – Friday, Republican candidate for Illinois' 6th CD Jeanne Ives criticized US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her Democrat majority for blocking a US Senate bill that would provide an additional $250 billion in aid to small businesses through the Paycheck Protection Program.
The $349 billion Congress set aside for small businesses suffering due to the COVID-19 outbreak was exhausted mid-week.
“Sean Casten (IL-6th) and Nancy Pelosi blocking small business owners from getting the aid they need has to be one of the most malicious calculations they have ever made,” said Ives. “They are holding out-of-work Americans and businesses hostage in order to fund political deals that have nothing to do with helping American families and businesses get through the COVID-19 shut down.
House Democrats are holding relief efforts hostage in an attempt to add additional funding to bail out states and for healthcare resources, despite no indication that the original funding was not sufficient. Furthermore, the state of Illinois and the City of Chicago created their own financial crisis. COVID-19 had nothing to do with it, Ives said.
The initial COVID relief package set aside $349 billion to help small businesses, defined as businesses employing less than 500 people. The PPP opened up on April 7. By April 16, all of the funding was spoken for through a “First Come, First Serve” application process.
“‘First Come, First Serve’ has got to be expanded. I say this as a taxpayer who does not want to see the country further indebted. It is not fair for the government to shut down small businesses, and then walk away or help some and not others. Small businesses are the least able to weather this storm.
“We need to do what is right. Aid should be temporary and targeted, but government has a clear responsibility to help those it shut down. That means Sean Casten and Nancy Pelosi’s self-interested political demands will have to wait until we get the economy back on its feet and people back to work.”
Ives criticized her November 2020 opponent, incumbent Congressman Sean Casten for refusing to stand up to his political bosses.
"Casten is willing to leave small businesses in his district waiting for relief in order to ensure a federal bail out of some degree for the most mismanaged state and city in the nation," Ives said in a statement.
