The New Jersey State AFL-CIO thanks and commends the state’s bipartisan House of Representatives delegation for voting in favor of nearly $500 billion in emergency aid to small businesses and hospitals impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. The bill has already been approved by the Senate, and the state AFL-CIO urges President Trump to sign it into law quickly.
The legislation notably adds $321 billion to the Paycheck Protection Program, a fund that is designed to keep employees on small-business payrolls but which quickly ran dry. To support our frontline heroes in health care, the package includes $75 billion for hospitals and $25 billion for additional coronavirus testing. And besides the forgivable PPP loans, small businesses also can apply for economic disaster loans; $60 billion more is available.
To date, a total of $2.7 trillion in federal funds has been approved by Congress, through two smaller allocations, the $2.2 trillion CARES Act, and now this appropriation.
The New Jersey State AFL-CIO notes that critically needed aid to state and local governments specifically was not included in this bill, and the labor federation urges Congress to get to work on additional funding.
The New Jersey State AFL-CIO praises our delegation for their longstanding support of New Jersey’s working families: Sens. Bob Menendez and Cory Booker, both D-N.J., who voted for the package previously, and Reps. Donald Norcross, D-1st District, Jeff Van Drew, R-2nd District, Andy Kim, D-3rd District, Chris Smith, R-4th District, Josh Gottheimer, D-5th District, Frank Pallone Jr., D-6th District, Tom Malinowski, D-7th District, Albio Sires, D-8th District, Bill Pascrell Jr., D-9th District, Donald Payne Jr., D-10th District, Mikie Sherrill, D-11th District and Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-12th District.