Shaheen Hosts Conference Call with NH Tourism & Hospitality Businesses Following Senate Passage of Bill to Improve PPP

To listen to audio of the call, click here or on the image.

(Washington, DC) - Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) hosted a conference call with New Hampshire tourism and hospitality leaders to discuss needs and areas of concern as the tourism and hospitality industries, which play key roles in the State, continue to grapple with the economic fallout from COVID-19. During the call, Shaheen heard more about their experiences and challenges they have faced operating in the present environment, and shared an update from the Senate on legislative efforts to provide relief to these hard-hit industries, including news of passage of the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act – bipartisan legislation that improves the Paycheck Protection Program to ensure funding assistance reaches small businesses that need it most. The changes included in this legislation had been requested by many Granite State small businesses.

“Small businesses in New Hampshire’s tourism and hospitality sectors are among the hardest hit from this crisis. As they made clear to me during our conversation – they need help to keep their doors open and they need it now,” said Shaheen. “The challenges they have faced are why I’ve worked across the aisle to provide critical financial support to our small businesses through the PPP, and supported legislation that has now passed the Senate to give them flexibility as to how they can use this funding and on fast-approaching deadlines. I will be sharing the feedback I heard today with my colleagues in the Senate and the Trump administration, and will continue to press for more relief legislation to help these businesses get through this crisis.”

Senator Shaheen has worked tirelessly to address the administration’s flawed initial implementation of the PPP and small business assistance programs to ensure help reaches those who need it most. She recently hosted calls with small businesses and non-profits that have successfully accessed these programs and those that have been unable to access them. She also called on the Trump administration to provide guidance to small businesses, as mandated by law, regarding PPP loan forgiveness. She joined with Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Ben Cardin (D-MD) in calling on the administration to reverse its policy of limiting Economic Disaster Loan Program relief to $150,000 and to reopen the program to non-farm applicants. In May, Shaheen unveiled the Transparency and Oversight of COVID-19 Small Business Recovery Assistance Act to ensure accountability for the Trump administration’s implementation of the PPP and EIDL grant programs. The Senators sought to pass this legislation through the Senate through unanimous consent, but were blocked by Senate Republicans. Last month, Shaheen and the congressional delegation called on the U.S. Department of Treasury to make adjustments to the PPP so that it can more effectively serve the needs of Granite State small businesses.