My office remains accessible via phone and email and we are ready to help anyone in need of assistance. The latest coronavirus response information is available on my webpage at young.senate.gov/coronavirus and Hoosiers can email [email protected] to get in touch with my office. 

Hoosier Paycheck Protection Program Success Stories 

Over the last several weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to connect with roughly 22,000 Hoosiers about the impacts of coronavirus. During this time of uncertainty, people want their public officials to be accessible, and we’ve listened – we’ve done a lot of listening, a lot of information sharing. The thing I’ve most consistently heard from people is that the Paycheck Protection Program was the right program at the right time. And I know we will have important conversations in coming days and weeks about our next steps here in Washington. But we know in the state of Indiana this program has worked well for many of our businesses.

To date, Indiana has received over 70,000 Paycheck Protection Program loans amounting to nearly $10 billion, specific Indiana recipients of Paycheck Protection Program loans include:  

• Troyer Products, a manufacturing company, located in Elkhart, was able to keep 21 employees on their payroll thanks to a PPP loan.
• Families First, an Indianapolis non-profit that provides mental health counseling, education, crisis intervention, received a PPP loan. 
• A medical device distributor in Valparaiso had its sales fall 90 percent when elective surgeries were suspended. PPP helped them keep all 23 employees on the payroll.
• A financial services firm in Indianapolis with 80 employees went forward with their plans to hire eight college graduates thanks to the assurance they had with PPP.
• Immanuel Lutheran Church in Seymour received a PPP loan that enabled them to keep their church staff, as well as the staff for the church-run daycare.
• A business in Noblesville that employs eight people changed hands after the February 15 cutoff date and was initially denied a PPP loan. The SBA issued new guidance that resolved the issue. 

Click here or on the image above to view my full remarks.

Honoring Our Nation’s Teachers

To honor our nation's teachers and commemorate National Teacher Appreciation Week, I joined a bipartisan resolution to recognize the important work of teachers across the nation and thank them for their efforts to prepare students for success. 

Despite the challenging situation we are currently facing, teachers in Indiana and across the country remain dedicated to their students and staying connected during the coronavirus pandemic. This resolution honors the efforts of our teachers and their devotion to our young people.

National Nurses Day

Last week, we also recognized National Nurses Day, a day to honor the heroic work of nurses across Indiana. Nurses put the health and well-being of their patients first always, especially now during the coronavirus pandemic. To all of our nurses, we thank you.

Bipartisan, Bicameral Letter In Support Of Australia After Recent Backlash from China

Last week, I joined my colleagues on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to express our unwavering support for Australia after recent comments made by Chinese Ambassador Cheng Jingye insinuating Australia may face economic retaliation after calling for an independent investigation into the origins of coronavirus.

This incident is part of a broader and concerning pattern from the Chinese government. As we continue to confront this deadly disease and its consequences, we will be faced with many tough decisions, including those that may arise from the Chinese government’s continued lack of cooperation and transparency. One decision that is not difficult is to always stand with our Australian mates. No matter the external pressure or coercion, we will always have Australia’s back, just as Australia has always had ours.
 
Click here to read the letter in full. 

New Proposal to Support Hardest-Hit Small and Mid-Sized Businesses

I announced bold new proposals to support the small- and mid-sized businesses most affected by the coronavirus crisis. While the Paycheck Protection Program is working for many small businesses, we know more needs to be done. The plan includes the new Reviving the Economy Sustainably Towards a Recovery in Twenty-twenty (RESTART) Act loan program to provide funding to jump-start the hardest-hit businesses for the remainder of 2020 and provide loan forgiveness as a backstop against ongoing difficulties. It would also make enhancements to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to support restaurants and other deeply affected businesses. 

The RESTART Act will go a step further by helping to provide longer-term loans to businesses and non-profits that are experiencing economic hardship due to the coronavirus pandemic. Millions of Americans have lost their jobs, and our goal is to revitalize the economy and get them back to work as quickly as possible.

Learn more about this program via the TriState Homepage.

Bill to Boost Federal Investment in American Research & Development, including vaccine research

The private sector will help America emerge from the coronavirus pandemic and prepare for future emergencies. The government should work to encourage our small businesses to conduct the research and development needed to produce vaccines and other critical technologies right here in the U.S. Last week, I introduced legislation along with Congresswoman Jackie Walorski to provide expanded tax support for American companies that invest in the research and development to do just that.

Relief for Opportunity Zones in the Wake of Coronavirus

The 2008 financial crisis showed the entire country that low-income communities are often the first hit and last to recover during times of economic instability. Fortunately, as the United States begins to reopen due to the coronavirus pandemic, we have a to help the most economically distressed communities: Opportunity Zones. 

In order for our nation’s Opportunity Zones to reach their full potential, it is critical that we provide the necessary flexibility to entrepreneurs, community-based organizations, developers, and investors to cope with this pandemic and not wrongfully punish Opportunity Zone businesses and funds alike simply because of the obstacles coronavirus has created. Relief focused on giving stakeholders, projects, and businesses additional time and flexibility to meet Opportunity Zone requirements, timelines, and thresholds will enable Opportunity Zone businesses to weather the storm and be part of the robust post-pandemic economic recovery.

Last week I joined some of my colleagues in asking the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to modify certain rules of the road for businesses and investors in Opportunity Zones to ensure the strongest possible path forward in the coronavirus economic recovery. 

Constituent Spotlight

Hoosiers have been stepping up to help their neighbors and communities. With countless school communities feeling the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, it is heartening to see Hoosier educators like Pleasant Grove Elementary School Principal Trael Kelly stepping up to ensure the needs of his students are being met. With last week being Teacher Appreciation week, I want to thank all of the outstanding teachers and faculty that are helping educate our next generation.

Social Media Recap 

Join me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for regular updates. 

Thank you for the continued privilege to serve you in the U.S. Senate. My mission is to fight on behalf of Hoosiers and the interests that are unique to our state. I look forward to working with you, and sharing our progress, in the days ahead. 

In Service,