Congress Must Deliver Critical PPP Funding

The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is one of the most effective ways to keep small businesses afloat and American workers employed during this pandemic. With more than 1.6 million loans granted to small businesses across the country, totaling nearly $350 billion in loans, we repeatedly warned that PPP would run out of money this week. In Louisiana alone, more than $5 billion was loaned to more than 26,000 small businesses!

President Trump has been asking for additional funding for this program, and I fully support that request. Unfortunately, Speaker Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Schumer have been holding small businesses and workers hostage to additional demands. We’ve called on them to work with us to keep this program alive, so that our small businesses can stay alive, along with the millions of jobs they provide to hard-working families. Negotiations to replenish the PPP are underway between the President and Congressional leaders, but we must act quickly.

Are you unable to apply for a forgivable Paycheck Protection Program loan to cover your payroll and keep your business afloat now that the program has run out of funding? If so, please share your story with me here.

Updates on Economic Impact Payments from the IRS

The IRS began distributing Economic Impact Payments this week. For filers, the IRS has launched the “Get My Payment” portal to:

• Check your payment status.
• Confirm your payment type: direct deposit or check.
• Enter your bank account information for direct deposit if the IRS doesn’t have your direct deposit information and the IRS hasn’t sent your payment yet.

For non-filers, the IRS launched the “Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here” portal to provide an option designed for people who don’t have a return filing obligation, including those with too little income to file.

Joining President Trump’s Task Force on Reopening the Economy

We face two enormous challenges: limiting the spread of COVID-19 while also preventing long-term damage to our economy. While public health officials implement measures to slow the spread, President Trump is convening industry leaders, elected officials, and economists to assess the path forward on reopening our economy. I am honored to accept President Trump’s request to be a part of this historic effort. The United States had the hottest economy in the world before this pandemic struck, and I look forward to working with some of the world’s best minds as we begin planning the great American economic recovery that will return us to that level of strength and security that America deserves.

President Trump’s Guidelines for Opening Up America

President Trump announced his guidelines for opening up America again. President Trump’s three-phased approach is based on up-to-date data, mitigates the risk of resurgence, protects the most vulnerable, and is implementable on a statewide or parish-by-parish basis at each governor's discretion. The guidelines are based on the advice of public health experts and will help state and local officials while protecting American lives when we consider reopening our economies.

Community Updates and Good News of the Week

• Earlier this week, I joined Governor Edwards during his daily press briefing to discuss the federal response to Coronavirus in Louisiana. Louisiana’s brave healthcare workers are risking their lives on the front lines of this battle with COVID-19, and I thanked President Trump for getting our healthcare heroes the resources and support they need to do their jobs.
  
  
• New Orleans was selected to receive a $100,000 grant and 10,000 test kits as Hyundai’s Hope on Wheels program expands support for drive-thru COVID-19 testing to 22 hospitals nationwide with $4 MILLION in grants and 65,000 test kits.
  
  
• The FCC awarded Ochsner Health in New Orleans $1 MILLION to provide telehealth services and devices. This will be huge for high-risk and vulnerable patients.
  
  
• This week, I joined Fox Business Channel’s Varney & Co. to discuss the Paycheck Protection Program, and the status of Coronavirus in Louisiana.
  
  
• This week, the FDA authorized two additional emergency use authorizations (EUAs) for Coronavirus antibody tests. A total of three antibody tests have now been given this emergency approval by the Trump Administration.

It is an honor to represent you in Congress. For more information please visit my website, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook pages.


God Bless,