Dear friend,

I hope you are doing well. Today I was honored to be asked by the Speaker to preside over the floor of the House of Representatives as we debate and vote on a fourth coronavirus aid package – to rush aid to my hometowns and so many others. This bill will increase the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and make it work better for the true small businesses like we have in Tampa and it includes the Health Care Enhancement Act to rush aid to our brave frontline health care workers. 

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I’m grateful to hear from and share with so many of my neighbors every day and on my weekly town halls – we have held five so far and counting. I have shared your ideas and concerns as this bill came together and they helped ensure that this package addresses many of those concerns, ideas and dreams.

• The bill strengthens the Paycheck Protection Program by prioritizing America’s small businesses, including minority, women, veteran, and rural businesses by:
  • Increasing the appropriation level for the Paycheck Protection Program from $349 billion to $670.335 billion.
  • $60 Billion Set-Aside for Smaller Lenders:  The bill provides a $60 billion set-aside within PPP for small and mid-sized banks and credit unions as well as community-based lending institutions.  This set-aside funding will help ensure that unbanked and underserved businesses can get access to PPP.  This includes minority-owned businesses, rural businesses, small mom and pop businesses, and smaller nonprofits that too often have been pushed to the back of the line.
• Expand Economic Injury Disaster Program
  • Increasing the authorization level for the Emergency Economic Injury Disaster (EIDL) Grants from $10 billion to $20 billion.

• The bill provides $75 billion to reimburse hospitals and other health care providers for health care related expenses or lost revenue attributable to COVID-19. This funding can be used to purchase Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for our health care workers.  This funding is in addition to the $100 billion that was provided for this same purpose in the CARES Act. 

• $25 Billion for Expenses Related to Expanding COVID-19 Testing:  This funding includes covering expenses related to research, development, validation, manufacturing, purchasing, administering, or expanding capacity for COVID-19 testing. This funding includes:
  • $11 Billion for COVID-19 Testing and Related Activities: The $11 billion can be used for necessary expenses to develop, purchase, administer, process and analyze COVID-19 tests, including support for the workforce, epidemiology, use by employers, scaling up testing, conducting surveillance, conducting contact tracing, and other related testing activities.
  • $1 Billion for CDC:  The $1 billion is to be used for surveillance, epidemiology, contact tracing, and other activities to support testing.
  • $1.8 Billion for NIH:  The $1.8 billion is to be used to accelerate development of point-of-care and rapid diagnostic technologies.
  • $1 billion for the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA):  The $1 billion is to be used to accelerate development of point-of-care and rapid diagnostic technologies.
  • $22 Million for FDA:  The $22 million is to be used by FDA for its role in accelerating development and approval of point-of-care and rapid diagnostics technologies.
  • $600 Million for Community Health Centers:  The $600 million for Community Health Centers is to be used to support COVID-19 testing.
  • $1 Billion for Testing For the Uninsured:  This $1 billion is to cover the cost of testing the uninsured.

• Within 30 Days of Enactment, Requires A Federal COVID-19 Strategic Testing Plan:  The bill requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, no later than 30 days after the date of enactment, to submit to Congress a COVID-19 Strategic Testing Plan. The plan is long awaited from the Trump Administration and insists that they focus on increasing and making possible wide spread domestic testing including testing supplies.

As always, know that I am working every day to speed help home and I and my team are here to help you at 813-871-2817. I hope you and your family remain safe and healthy.

Best,