Hello

-- Small businesses and family farms are crucial to our economy.

Mom and pop restaurants and breweries, retailers, small manufacturers, entrepreneurs, and fresh, local food from our farms are what make upstate New York communities vibrant.

In the last few weeks, I've heard from a wide-range of employers, workers, and local officials who were alarmed that so many of these businesses on Main Street lost out to Wall Street and larger corporations as a part of the first round of funding for the Paycheck Protection Program.

I share their concern.

That's why I'm proud of the work Democrats did to close loopholes and secure an additional $370 billion to immediately aid small businesses and their workers.

Included in this legislation is an important federal fix that I advocated for to make small farmers eligible for Economic Injury Disaster Loans and the emergency grants.

I know many of you want to reopen the economy as soon as it is safe to do so.

I do too -- but the only way we can do that is if we ramp up COVID-19 testing and keep our hospitals running. This legislation helps us get on the road to recovery and reopening by providing $75 billion for hospitals and another $25 billion for testing.

I'm voting for this package because it is a good additional step toward protecting public health and our economy -- but more work must be done.

In particular, I am concerned about the lack of additional funding for state and local governments -- especially those with populations of less than 500,000.

Local officials from both parties are pleading for more help to ensure communities can wage war against COVID-19 while continuing to pay first responders and teachers, pick up the trash, and perform other basic functions at a time when local tax revenues have all but dried up.

I will fight every day to make sure our families and communities continue to have the opportunity to thrive -- through this crisis and beyond.

Thank you for taking the time to read these updates from me. I hope it gives you some comfort to know that I am working diligently to deliver results for you during this difficult time.

Stay safe,

Antonio

P.S. Here's a video update I posted to Facebook that discusses the latest COVID-19 relief package and what it means for upstate New York: