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Jaime Herrera Beutler Leads Effort to Force U.S. House Vote to Extend Paycheck Protection Program

Jaime to lead discharge petition that would force Speaker Pelosi to bring PPP extension to the House floor, breaking political logjam

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Washington, September 17, 2020 | comments

Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA-03) intends to force a vote by the U.S. House to extend the lifeline Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) using a legislative maneuver called a discharge petition. 

Last night, Herrera Beutler filed a formal resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives to allow expedited floor consideration of a bill to extend the PPP.  According to U.S. House rules, the earliest she can file the formal petition is Friday, September 25. After that, should the petition garner 218 signatures from Representatives, the House will then be compelled to vote on whether to bring to the floor a previously introduced bill, authored by House Small Business Committee Ranking Member Rep. Steve Chabot (OH-01), to distribute the remaining $134 billion in current PPP reserves that are now sitting idle after the program’s August 8 expiration.

Speaker Pelosi continues to stall on bringing forth any bill that would distribute forgivable loans to small businesses ailing because of COVID and COVID-related restrictions, and now dangerous wildfire conditions plaguing much of the Western U.S.

“The Paycheck Protection Program has been a bridge for almost 9,500 small businesses in Southwest Washington alone, but if we fail to extend it immediately, it will have been a bridge to nowhere because small businesses remain on the brink of survival. I’ve introduced this discharge petition so we can go around Speaker Pelosi’s unwillingness to make the Paycheck Protection Program a priority, and rush aid to small businesses who desperately need it,” Herrera Beutler said.

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