House Passes Coronavirus Relief and Federal Funding Legislation with Delgado Priorities to Support Upstate Communities

December 21, 2020
Press Release
Legislative Package Includes Rep. Delgado’s Proposals to Provide Small Business Relief and Strengthen Federal Assistance for People with Student Loans

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Antonio Delgado (NY-19) voted to pass a bipartisan legislative package that will provide American families and businesses with urgently needed pandemic relief. The package is comprised of a $1.4 trillion FY21 budget and a $900 billion COVID-19 assistance package. Before casting his vote, Rep. Delgado spoke on Facebook Live to explain critical provisions within both bills.

“After months of partisan gridlock, I joined colleagues on both sides of the aisle in voting to pass long overdue coronavirus relief and federal funding that provides urgently needed relief to individuals and families across Americas as well as critical support to our small business owners and family farmers. This legislation is the first of many steps required to meet the needs of our localities throughout this public health emergency,” said Rep. Delgado. “I am particularly proud that this bill expands loan relief for small businesses in the same vein as my Small Business Debt Relief Extension Act, provides additional funding through CFAP 2 for farmers impacted by COVID-19, adopts a version of my Prioritized Paycheck Protection Program, which gives certain small businesses a chance to apply for a second round of PPP, and includes a version of my Strengthening Financial Aid for Students Act, which allows more students the ability to balance work with higher education opportunities.”

“While this legislative package provides long overdue support for our communities, I remain deeply disappointed by the failure to include meaningful, direct funding to state and local governments. When our localities needed it most, our state and local governments answered the call. Our work is far from over and I will continue to push for further, comprehensive relief. It is imperative that Congressional leaders work together to provide robust assistance as we continue to respond to the pandemic and rebuild our economy,” said Rep. Delgado.


The relief package includes many priorities championed by Rep. Delgado, including:

Support for Small Business Relief Programs:

  • Extended Debt Relief for Small Businesses: The package builds on Rep. Delgado’s Small Business Repayment Relief Act, which was signed into law as part of the bipartisan CARES Act. Delgado’s original bill provided $17 billion for automatic loan repayment for small businesses. This package includes $3.5 billion to extend this debt relief for all eligible loans for three months and provides five months of relief to small businesses in industries hardest hit by the pandemic. In September, Rep. Delgado introduced the Small Business Debt Relief Extension Act to automatically extend repayment measures for qualified SBA loans.
  • Improvements to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP): The package includes $284 billion in additional PPP funding and allows the hardest hit small businesses to apply for a second forgivable PPP loan, similar to Rep. Delgado’s Prioritized Paycheck Protection Program or P4 Act. Following Rep. Delgado’s urging, the package ensures small businesses can deduct PPP loans, and simplifies the forgiveness process for loans of $150,000 or less.
  • Expanded Economic Injury Disaster Loans: The bill also adds $20 billion to the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Advance Grants. This will ensure small businesses and nonprofits in low-income communities can access the $10,000 grants.
  • Assistance for Independent Restaurants & Live Entertainment Venues: The package includes added flexibilities within PPP to work better for independent restaurants and $15 billion for live venues, independent movie theaters and cultural institutions. Rep. Delgado is a cosponsor of the RESTAURANTS Act, which would provide additional funding to independent restaurants, and the Save Our Stages (SOS) Act, which creates a $10 billion grant program to provide grants to live venue operators, producers, promoters and talent representatives.
  • Permanent tax rates for small brewers and distillers: The package includes language to make the reduced excise tax rates for small brewers and distillers permanent, in line with legislation Rep. Delgado co-sponsors, the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act. Rep Delgado joined his colleagues earlier this month in sending a letter urging Leadership to include this legislation in a year-end package.


Mental Health Assistance: 

  • Mental Health Support: Earlier this summer, Rep. Delgado joined a bipartisan coalition in urging Congress to include federal funding for mental health support. The bill passed today includes $4.5 billion for mental health. 


Assistance for the Agriculture Community:

  • Direct Assistance to Farmers: The package includes an additional $13 billion in agricultural assistance and programs, including direct payments, purchases, and loans to farmers and ranchers who have suffered losses due to the pandemic. During the CARES Act negotiations in March, Rep. Delgado successfully urged the inclusion of funding for small farmers and producers.
  • Funding for Farming Opportunities Training and Outreach (FOTO): The legislation passed today incorporates $75 million in funds for FOTO. This will support groups working with beginning, socially disadvantaged, and veteran farmers and ranchers. The funds will support financial assistance, marketing advice and technical assistance as these farmers and ranchers are responding to this difficult market. Rep. Delgado has been an advocate in securing robust funding in previous packages for the FOTO program.
  • Federal funding to expand rural broadband: This legislative package includes $7 billion for broadband deployment, with $300 million specifically assigned to support rural areas.


The FY 2021 funding bill includes provisions from Rep. Delgado’s Strengthening Financial Aid for Students Act: 

  • Strengthening Financial Aid for Students: The package includes a 35% increase for the FAFSA Income Protection Allowance. This increase will better reflect the costs of basic needs like food and rent to ensure working students are not penalized when qualifying for financial aid. Rep. Delgado introduced the Strengthening Financial Aid for Students Act, which fortifies the Income Protection Allowance. 


The package passed today provides for another round of stimulus checks of $600 for individuals making up to $75,000. Under this bill, a family of four would receive $2,400 in direct payments. The legislation also extends critically important unemployment programs, including $300 per week in extended unemployment insurance for 12 million Americans. In addition, the package provides funding for the procurement and distribution of vaccines, testing, tracing, and COVID-19 mitigation programs. 

This bill also includes $82 billion for education, $10 billion for child care, $25 billion in rental assistance, and $13 billion to combat food insecurity. In addition to coronavirus relief and federal funding, this package incorporates legislation to end surprise medical billing for patients, preventing them from being charged with exorbitant bills that occur when a patient is unknowingly treated by an out of network provider.

A summary of the COVID-19 relief legislation can be found here. A summary of the FY21 funding legislation can be found here.
 

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