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Stauber Fights for Small Businesses by Signing Discharge Petition to Force Vote on Bill to Free Up Unused Paycheck Protection Program Funds

September 25, 2020

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This morning, Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08) signed a discharge petition to force Speaker Pelosi to bring H.R. 8265, the Paycheck Protection Program Extension Act to the House Floor for a vote. This commonsense legislation, of which Stauber is a cosponsor, would reopen the Paycheck Protection Program for the remainder of the year and give small businesses the ability to receive a second loan. The Paycheck Protection Program has been shutdown for 48 days, yet Speaker Pelosi has refused to bring this legislation to the Floor. A simple majority of 218 signatures is needed for a discharge petition to be successful.

During a House Small Business Committee hearing, Stauber spoke on the importance of passing this legislation and lambasted Speaker Pelosi for putting politics over relief for small businesses.

In his opening remarks, Stauber stated (in part):

"I sit here today dumbfounded. The Paycheck Protection Program, which has provided a lifeline to small businesses across the country during this pandemic, has been shutdown for 48 days. With over $135 billion in funding, the PPP is only shutdown because of Speaker Pelosi's unwillingness to bring meaningful legislation to the Floor. She would rather use small businesses as political pawns.

"H.R. 8265, legislation that Ranking Member Chabot introduced, and I have cosponsored, would reopen the PPP through the end of the year. On top of that, it would give small business the ability to receive a second loan; it would provide more flexibility in how PPP dollars can be spent; and, it would simplify the forgiveness process. Instead of working on legislation that would bring more relief to 30 million small businesses across the country, however, Democrat leadership has been focused on passing legislation that gives them cheap political talking points for their election cycle. In fact, the Speaker was so afraid that the PPP legislation would pass, she canceled session for today. She knew that her moderate members were going to sign the discharge petition and bring that bill to the Floor.

"We cannot lose sight of the American small businesses who are looking to us for financial relief in their most desperate hour, which is why I signed the discharge petition today which will call for immediate consideration of H.R. 8265. Partisanship should have no place in these halls during this pandemic and it is my hope that we vote on this important legislation soon."

Watch the full video, HERE.

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