Following Pappas's Call for Action, House Passes COVID Relief Package

Statement

Today, Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) voted to pass a revised COVID relief package that provides direct support to small businesses, expands access to COVID treatment, directly supports our struggling communities, and helps reduce financial burdens on New Hampshire veterans.

Congressman Pappas fought for a number of provisions in this bill that are priorities for Granite Staters. Specifically, the packages include four bills he authored which will provide free coronavirus treatment and vaccines for low-income individuals, expand tax credits for small businesses to keep workers on the job, and give our veterans a reprieve from VA debt collection and greater access to emergency care during this pandemic.

"New Hampshire families, communities and small businesses need our support now -- they can't afford further delays in Congress. That's why I am relieved that the House leadership listened to my calls and those of my colleagues and put forward another COVID relief bill that responds to the serious concerns I hear from Granite Staters every day," said Congressman Pappas. "This legislation will improve the Paycheck Protection Program to support our businesses and workers at this exceptionally difficult time, provide state and local governments the emergency funds they need to maintain critical services, give our schools the assistance they need to keep our children safe, and increase our capacity for COVID-19 testing, tracing, and treatment. I now call on President Trump and my Senate colleagues to take up this legislation and conduct further negotiations so that we can get the job done."

Pappas authored four provisions included in the updated relief package:

-Expanding benefits available to American small businesses and workers by enabling businesses that received a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan to also take advantage of the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC).
-Making COVID 19 treatment and future vaccination free under Medicaid and CHIP
-Expanding veterans' access to emergency care during the COVID-19 pandemic
-Deferring debt collection from veterans until 60 days after the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency

Additional Pappas priorities included:

-Strengthening the Paycheck Protect Program, which has been a lifeline for small businesses and nonprofits in New Hampshire by providing second loans for hard hit business
-Bolstering funding to support safe schools and daycares
-Providing $830 million to the state of New Hampshire and $730 million directly to local and county governments to cover lost, delayed, or decreased revenue
-Providing $621 million to help the state and communities in New Hampshire with increased educational expenses
-Extending the date for expenditure of CARES Act funds to December 31, 2021.
-Supporting testing, tracing, and treatment with more than $75 billion for testing and $28 billion for the creation and distribution of a vaccine
-Restoring weekly $600 federal unemployment payments through next January to Americans who are out of work due to the pandemic
-Requiring SBA to establish a streamlined refinancing process for Paycheck Protection Program recipients who have applied for loans under $150,000

Earlier this week, Congressman Pappas joined a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi calling on her to bring forward and pass a COVID-19 relief package that responds to the needs of everyday Americans coping with the impacts of this pandemic.

Source