Tacoma, WA – U.S. Representatives Derek Kilmer (WA-06) and Denny Heck (WA-10) called on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to modify income verification requirements for food banks receiving Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) support in order to get more Washingtonians access to critical food assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Under current requirements, CDBG recipients must verify clients’ income by having each client complete and sign a form. While this system works under normal circumstances, the food banks serving our districts are concerned that the repetitive handoff of paperwork may increase the risk of COVID-19 transmission for their clients and volunteers,” the lawmakers wrote.
“Food banks are on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis, providing nutritious foods to those in need. Over the past month, food banks have been managing increased demand due to the economic ramifications of the outbreak,” they continued. “At the same time, they have had to change the format of operations in order to comply with social distancing guidelines. During this time of uncertainty, it is essential that food banks be enabled and encouraged to continue their work. They can only accomplish this if they are able to take necessary precautions to keep their clients, volunteers, and staff healthy.”
The letter was signed by U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA), along with Representatives Adam Smith (WA-09), Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Kim Schrier (WA-08), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), and Rick Larsen (WA-02).
The full text of the letter can be found here and below.
April 7, 2020
The Honorable Benjamin Carson
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
451 7th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20410
Dear Secretary Carson,
We write requesting that you modify income verification requirements for food banks receiving Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) support. Granting this flexibility will enable these CDBG recipients to continue providing critical services to those most impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak.
Under current requirements, CDBG recipients must verify clients’ income by having each client complete and sign a form. While this system works under normal circumstances, the food banks serving our districts are concerned that the repetitive handoff of paperwork may increase the risk of COVID-19 transmission for their clients and volunteers.
Food banks are on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis, providing nutritious foods to those in need. Over the past month, food banks have been managing increased demand due to the economic ramifications of the outbreak. At the same time, they have had to change the format of operations in order to comply with social distancing guidelines. During this time of uncertainty, it is essential that food banks be enabled and encouraged to continue their work. They can only accomplish this if they are able to take necessary precautions to keep their clients, volunteers, and staff healthy.
We ask that you waive or modify income verification requirements for food banks receiving CDBG support. The CARES Act, signed into law last week, granted you the authority to waive these requirements for CDBG funds made available under the Act. Other federal agencies have taken steps to ensure the smooth operation of food banks. Last month, the United States Department of Agriculture modified similar income verification requirements that applied to food banks as a condition of their participation in the Emergency Food Assistance Program. We hope your agency will follow suit so that food banks can continue their work serving our community.
Thank you for your consideration.
Kilmer, Herrera Beutler Call for Improvements to Program to Help Small Businesses Weather the Coronavirus
Press release issued 4/ 8/ 20
Tacoma, WA – On Tuesday, Representatives Derek Kilmer (WA-06) and Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA-03) urged the U.S. Department of Treasury and the U.S. Small Business Administration to take steps to improve the Paycheck Protection Program and increase access to loans for small businesses being impacted by COVID-19 across Washington state. The Paycheck Protection Program, which was created in the third COVID-19 emergency relief package, provides forgivable loans to small businesses to pay their employees and keep them on the payroll. The lawmakers called on the agencies to improve the operability of the loan application system, issue additional guidance to improve clarity for lenders, and enhance responsiveness to lenders and borrowers.
“We appreciate that, at the time we are writing this letter, lenders around the country have already issued more than 124,000 PPP loans, infusing roughly $36 billion back into Main Streets across America,” the lawmakers wrote. “However, we also recognize that as a consequence of this rapid deployment many lenders and borrowers have experienced challenges that are complicating their participation in this critical program. As your agencies continue to implement the PPP, we request you urgently consider […] recommendations to improve the program for lenders and borrowers alike.”
Dear Secretary Mnuchin and Administrator Carranza:
Thank you for your swift action to implement the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) within just one week of its creation by Congress in the bipartisan CARES Act to expedite financial assistance to small businesses that are struggling due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. We are grateful for the around the clock effort it has taken to get this program up and running, however, the rapid development of this new program has resulted in some unanticipated challenges for lenders and borrowers, which are delaying access to these critical resources. We write today to urge you to continue working with lenders to address these challenges and ensure that PPP loans can be issued as quickly and efficiently as possible.
The unprecedented nature of the COVID-19 crisis’ effect on our small businesses required quick action to ensure they can survive this crisis. We’ve heard from countless lending institutions – including community bankers and credit unions –that have already started issuing PPP loans to support the small businesses that employ a majority of the workers in our communities. We appreciate that, at the time we are writing this letter, lenders around the country have already issued more than 124,000 PPP loans, infusing roughly $36 billion back into Main Streets across America.
However, we also recognize that as a consequence of this rapid deployment many lenders and borrowers have experienced challenges that are complicating their participation in this critical program. As your agencies continue to implement the PPP, we request you urgently consider the following recommendations to improve the program for lenders and borrowers alike:
Improve the operability of the loan application system, known as E-Tran. On several occasions, the E-Tran system has been slow or unresponsive when lenders attempt to access the system. Given the high demand for finite funds, lenders and their clients are concerned that a delay in access will put them at a distinct disadvantage. We encourage your agencies work to grow the capacity of the E-Tran system so that it can handle the large demand for new PPP loans.
Issue additional guidance to improve clarity for lenders. While we appreciate the guidance issued thus far, lenders have made it clear that gaps persist for issues like loan structure, documentation requirements, and service fee collection. We urge you to work quickly to update and refine guidance for lenders to help them better serve their clients and communities.
Enhance responsiveness to lenders and borrowers. We understand that your agencies have received an overwhelming amount of outreach from small business owners and lenders who are eager to participate in this program but have outstanding questions about how to access these resources. We believe that improving the existing guidance, as described above, will help address many of the most commonly asked questions, but local SBA offices will continue to receive a high volume of inquiries about unique circumstances that cannot be clearly addressed through general guidance. We request the agencies work to expand staffing at local SBA offices and create a dedicated online system to be able to quickly respond to unique questions from lenders and borrowers.
Finally, we recognize that the unprecedented demand for PPP loans is projected to well exceed the $350 billion that Congress originally appropriated for this program over the coming days or weeks. Additionally, the evolving guidance and projections regarding the anticipated duration of our nationwide social distancing measures suggest that many small businesses will require more than eight weeks of payroll support as currently allowed under the CARES Act. We are working on legislation to add additional funding and extend the duration of the Paycheck Protection Program to ensure that all small businesses can access PPP loans for the full length of this public health crisis.
We are eager to work with you to expand lending capacity and improve access to the program for borrowers and lenders so that every small business we represent can access the resources they need. Thank you for considering our requests, and we look forward to your response.
WORLD NEWS HEADLINES;
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https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/04/1061422
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https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/04/1061412
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https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/04/1061392
Over 10,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa; Zimbabwe and South Sudan among most vulnerable.
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https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/04/1061352
Syrian air force used deadly chemical weapons in 2017 attacks, global watchdog finds.
The Syrian air force used deadly chemical weapons in three separate attacks in March 2017 on the central town of Ltamenah that affected a total of at least 106 people, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said in a report on Wednesday.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/04/1061402
World Health Organization ‘absolutely critical’ to neutralizing coronavirus threat – UN chief.
The World Health Organization (WHO) must be supported across the world, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said on Wednesday, describing the UN health agency, which has led the multilateral response since the beginning, as “absolutely critical” in overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/04/1061382
Swift rebound for world trade still possible through joint action to thwart coronavirus.
Global trade in goods could fall by as much as a third this year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but a swift rebound in 2021 is possible if the world’s economic policymakers – working together – act immediately, the World Trade Organization (WTO) said on Wednesday.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/04/1061342
COMMENTARY:
WHY WE SHOULD SUPPORT.......WHY?
When they demand Churches be shut down!
