Federal Spotlight: Measure to Expand Paycheck Protection Program Appropriations Blocked in the Senate

On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced he would seek to pass $250 billion in additional funding for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) via unanimous consent in the Senate on Thursday. Today, he brought the measure forward, but it was blocked by Democratic Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, both of Maryland. The PPP provides forgivable loans to small businesses to incentivize them to keep individuals employed. The original $349 billion dollar appropriation in the CARES Act has been sought after by a number of eligible businesses across the country leaving the program to be nearly out of funds in a short period of time. Leaders from both parties have indicated that more coronavirus relief is likely to be coming in the near future.