| Small businesses are on the line and the decisions we make now could make or break our economy. The CARES Act was intended as a downpayment to help small businesses survive, but even that downpayment isn’t getting to where it’s needed fast enough. It is time for Congress to step up. In order to reopen our businesses, we must have a healthcare strategy that includes comprehensive testing and other necessary medical protocols to assure that we can safely restart our economy. Instead of arbitrary deadlines, our government must develop this strategy NOW! The health care strategy must be matched with an economic strategy, which the American Sustainable Business Council, the American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA) and other business organizations have developed. “The Next Steps to Keep American Business Alive” are crucial to helping small and mid-sized local and independent businesses (including farms and fishers) across the United States survive the pandemic until they are able to safely reopen. We are adding a comprehensive health care strategy to our economic call and placing the demand for that health strategy at the top of this list because our ultimate goal is to permit our businesses to reopen as soon as it is safely possible. That can’t happen without testing and the other health protocols necessary to make us as safe as possible, as well as restore the confidence of our employees and our customers. We have also modified our PPP demand to include language from farmers, fishers and independent restaurants with demands that will help all closed businesses. Join us in sending these seven demands to all 535 members of Congress and the President and Vice President. - Implement a comprehensive healthcare strategy IMMEDIATELY that includes widespread testing along with other necessary medical protocols so that businesses can re-open safely and as soon as possible.
- Fund the SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) advance NOW!
- Implement the new unemployment benefits NOW!
- Expand and Modify the CARES Act Payroll Protection Program (PPP)
- Increase by at least $250 Billion
- Make the origination date of a PPP loan be the first day that small businesses can legally fully open.
- Expand to maximum payroll loan amounts to three months after businesses can legally fully open.
- Provide support for new and smaller businesses in applying NOW!
- Action is needed to meet the needs of 1099 and gig workers.
- Action is needed to provide support for people of color, immigrants, and low-income communities and business owners hard hit by the Pandemic
- Action is necessary to ensure the resilience of the small-scale and mid-sized farmers, fishers, and ranchers that feed our communities and provide the goods on which many local businesses depend.
If you’ve already signed, please call your Senators and Representative to demand they act immediately. Sincerely, | |
