Tag: 3rd Congressional District

Wednesday Vote Set for Crucial Phillips Small Business Loan Reforms

WASHINGTON, DC — Votes are set for Wednesday, May 27 on two important reforms to the Paycheck Protection Program from Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03) designed to save struggling small businesses and ensure necessary transparency for American taxpayers. The Payroll Protection Program Flexibility Act and the Transparency and Reporting for the Underbanked and Taxpayers at Home (TRUTH) Act will solve problems with the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) an Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) facing millions of small business owners across the country.

“Representation begins with listening, and I am hearing from too many Minnesota small business owners who have received PPP loans but are afraid to use the money because of the inflexible, one size fits all rules – and others who are not applying for aid at all out of fear and confusion,” Representative Phillips said. “It won’t matter how much money we appropriate if the distribution mechanisms are broken. Congress now has an opportunity to fix what’s broken and make this important relief program more accessible and useable to the small businesses that need it the most. I am encouraged by the bipartisan cooperation of my colleagues in the House and Senate, and look forward to working with them to push these reforms over the finish line without delay. Every day counts, and time cannot be wasted.”

The two bipartisan bills are the culmination of months of work by Phillips. After countless conversations with small business owners in Minnesota and across the nation, public advocacy to Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, testimony before the House Small Business Committee, and bipartisan collaboration in Congress, votes on the two bills this Wednesday will put Congress closer to ensuring hastily-designed federal relief programs work better for American small businesses owners who so desperately need them.

The Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act
Co-led with Congressman Chip Roy (R-TX), this game-changing legislation will make urgent changes to the PPP, resulting in a more accessible and equitable relief program for vulnerable small businesses. The proposed reforms are the result of an outpouring of feedback from small business owners and restauranteurs, and include allowing forgiveness for expenses beyond the 8-week covered period, the removal of the 75/25 rule, the elimination of restrictions limiting the loan terms of two years and expanded forgiveness for businesses unable to rehire due to the continuing pandemic. These crucial fixes have been covered by Fox Business, endorsed by the Washington Post, and may mean the difference between survival and closure for small businesses across the nation as they attempt to weather the economic storm caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The TRUTH Act
The bipartisan TRUTH Act would direct the SBA to publicly disclose details on how small business relief dollars are flowing and where they are going. The bipartisan legislation would require the SBA to provide details on loans made over $2,000,000 and justify policy decisions like the recent slashing of EIDL limits, ensuring transparency and accountability from the agency while protecting the privacy of recipients of smaller loans. We are experiencing the largest expenditure of taxpayer money in American history, and since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, Rep. Phillips has been a leading advocate for transparency and oversight of those dollars. Previously, Phillips authored the bill which created a bipartisan Congressional Oversight Commission and Special Inspector General for the $500 billion Treasury Department fund for large businesses and state and local governments in the CARES Act.

Dean Phillips Endorsed for Second Term

Third District DFL Party votes by electronic ballot

EXCELSIOR, MINNESOTA – Today, Congressman Dean Phillips accepted the endorsement of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party in Minnesota’s Third Congressional District after delegates voted remotely by electronic ballot due to the Covid-19 crisis.

“I am honored and humbled to accept the nomination of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party to serve a second term in Congress,” said Phillips. “I take on the responsibility of serving the people during this pandemic with a sense of duty, urgency, and a commitment bringing an optimistic outlook to the challenging recovery ahead.”

“Our campaign in 2020 will look different from our previous effort – without the face-to-face conversations, hand shakes, hugs, and high-fives that I love so much. What will remain is the spirit of inclusion, and my commitment to extend an invitation to every person, regardless of ideology, to join together, repair our divisions, and help our country recover from the human and economic toll of the pandemic.” 

“Our campaign will be a robust and innovative effort of engagement and invitation through phone calls, text messages, digital strategies, and bold creative content to reinforce our key message: Everyone’s Invited.” 

Phillips Leads for Small Businesses, Secures Vote on Bipartisan Fix for Paycheck Protection Program

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03) successfully secured a promise from Speaker Nancy Pelosi for a House vote on his bipartisan bill with Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) aimed at fixing the Paycheck Protection Program. The Phillips/Roy Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act seeks to amend Trump Administration rules that made the PPP program inaccessible for millions of small independent businesses and is based on feedback from small business owners and entrepreneurs in Minnesota, Texas, and around the nation.

The House will vote on the bipartisan Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act (H.R. 6886) next week.

ICYMI, Politico, May 19, 2020:

 Pelosi moving to revamp small business rescue program
The House will vote on a bipartisan fix to the Paycheck Protection Program next week amid growing concern over its implementation.
By Zachary Warmbrodt and Heather Caygle Continue reading “Phillips Leads for Small Businesses, Secures Vote on Bipartisan Fix for Paycheck Protection Program”

Rep. Phillips secures vote on bipartisan PPP bill in final heroes package

“After careful deliberation and meaningful conversations with Minnesotans, I have decided to vote in favor of the Heroes Act. This bill opens negotiations on the next bold legislative package America needs to protect the health of our citizens and economy. And while I have registered deep reservations about the process by which we reached this point, I am pleased to have secured from Congressional leadership a commitment for a vote on HR 6886, the bipartisan Paycheck Protection Flexibility Act, a bill I am leading with Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) that will make much needed revisions to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Securing a bipartisan vote on this important and time-sensitive legislation makes me more comfortable voting in favor of the Heroes Act.

The problems before us are urgent ones, and I’m pleased that we are now one step closer to passing aid to states and local governments, hazard pay for frontline workers, PPP flexibility, and election safety funding. Earlier this week, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said that Congress needs to step up with bold, forceful policies to prevent the next wave of bankruptcies and prolonged joblessness. To achieve this goal, Republicans and Democrats in Congress and the White House must work together on good solutions and sound policy that gets us through this pandemic as healthy, economically-sound, and prepared for the future as possible. 

We will face immense challenges in the days ahead. Millions of small businesses are struggling, more than 20 million Americans are out of work, and the very real possibility of new waves of COVID-19 infections require that no time be wasted. I am optimistic that both parties will craft a compromise package in the coming days, a process in which I intend to participate.”

Rep. Phillips Earns High Marks for Working Across the Aisle

Newly announced 2019 Bipartisan Index ranks Phillips among Congress’s most bipartisan lawmakers

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University and the Lugar Center released their 2019 Bipartisan Index rankings of members of Congress (the first year of the 116th Congress). Freshman Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03) earned high marks for his first year, ranking in the top 7% for his bipartisan work in the House.

“In these divided times, good ideas must generate support from the center to stand any chance of becoming law,”said Phillips.“The corrupting influence of special interests has broken our politics, but I’m on a mission to inspire a new era of collaboration in Congress and restore Americans’ faith in our government. Trust is earned by action – not words – which is why I’m committed to working with colleagues of all ideologies to generate ideas, build bridges, and produce results.”

The Bipartisan Index measures how often a member of Congress introduces bills that succeed in attracting co-sponsors from members of the other party, and how often they in turn co-sponsor a bill introduced from across the aisle. The Index excludes non-binding resolutions and ceremonial bills, seeking to encourage lawmakers to be more bipartisan when writing or co-sponsoring meaningful policy. The metrics give Phillips high marks for top-tier bipartisan legislating: Continue reading “Rep. Phillips Earns High Marks for Working Across the Aisle”

Two Bills and Two Questions

Hi Neighbors,

This week, Congress is considering another round of coronavirus legislation for small businesses, workers, and families in need of relief. We’re experiencing the largest distribution of taxpayer dollars in our history, so I want to hear from you:

Do you believe taxpayers have a right to know how their money is being spent?

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While we’ve managed to help millions of small businesses keep their lights on, millions more remain on the outside looking in. it won’t matter how much money we appropriate if the system distributing it is inaccessible to those who need it the most. Continue reading “Two Bills and Two Questions”

Representatives Phillips, Roy introduce bipartisan fix to Paycheck Protection Program

WASHINGTON, DC — On Monday, Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) and Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) announced the introduction of the bipartisan Paycheck Protection Flexibility Act, which will make urgently needed changes to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a vital initiative for small businesses struggling in the wake of the coronavirus epidemic.

Rep. Dean Phillips:

“We must redesign the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to make it accessible to everyone, from food trucks, to four-star restaurants, to your favorite music venue. While the PPP has helped millions of small businesses keep their lights on, millions more remain on the outside looking in. It won’t matter how much money we appropriate if the system by which it’s distributed is inaccessible to those who need it the most. As an entrepreneur and small business owner myself, I understand the challenges facing businesses struggling to survive this crisis. These common-sense solutions will provide the flexibility necessary to weather the storm and prepare for uncertain times ahead. I am pleased to work with Congressman Roy on a bipartisan solution supporting small businesses; the backbone of the U.S. economy.” Continue reading “Representatives Phillips, Roy introduce bipartisan fix to Paycheck Protection Program”

Rep. Phillips introduces TRUTH Act to ensure SBA transparency

WASHINGTON, DC— Today, Rep. Dean Phillips introduced the Small Business Transparency and Reporting for the Underbanked and Taxpayers at Home (TRUTH) Act. The TRUTH Act would direct the Small Business Administration (SBA) to explain and justify all disbursements of coronavirus relief funds, ensuring transparency and accountability from this critical agency. Original co-sponsors include Reps. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), Lou Correa (D-CA), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Tom Malinowski (D-NJ), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Debra Haaland (D-NM) , John Garamendi (D-CA), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Gregorio Sablan (I-MP)

The CARES Act, Payroll Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act together allocated more than $2 trillion to address the devastating coronavirus pandemic. However, to date, SBA has not provided full transparency over its administration of the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL). This has led many to question the distribution of millions of dollars to well-financed institutions like the Los Angeles Lakers, while small businesses across the country remain without relief as their companies approach insolvency.

“The CARES Act was the largest distribution of taxpayer dollars in our nation’s history, and Americans deserve to know where their money is going,” Phillips said. “While we’ve managed to help millions of small businesses keep their lights on, millions more remain on the outside looking in. It won’t matter how much money we appropriate if the system by which it’s distributed is inaccessible to those who need it the most. As an entrepreneur and small business owner myself, I will be relentless in the pursuit of transparency and reforms necessary to ensure these programs work for all who need them to survive.” Continue reading “Rep. Phillips introduces TRUTH Act to ensure SBA transparency”

Problem Solvers show how Congress can work from home with virtual floor debate

Bipartisan caucus used Zoom to host a mock floor session debating state and local aid

Two dozen members of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus hosted a virtual floor debate on state and local funding Thursday, hoping to illustrate that the House can conduct official proceedings remotely. But the experimental session was not without a few technological hiccups.

Caucus members used the Zoom videoconferencing app to connect with one another for the mock debate, telecasting the proceedings to the public through Facebook Live.

Most of the problems seemed to occur with the Facebook Live feed cutting off even as the Zoom debate continued. The first video showing the beginning of the mock proceedings cut out after three-and-a-half minutes and a second after just 33 seconds. A third video remained functional through the end of the debate, which lasted an hour in total. Continue reading.

For rebuilding after COVID-19, Rep. Dean Phillips proposes six-fold increase in AmeriCorps volunteers

As U.S. governments deal with COVID-19 at every level, there’s a feeling that this period of time is about simply getting through it — finding enough money to pay for city, county, and state services. But some are also planning for when the work of rebuilding starts.

AmeriCorps, a voluntary service program run by the U.S. government, could be instrumental in rebuilding the country in the wake of coronavirus. To that end, the organization established an Emergency Response Member program set to start next month that will recruit new volunteers for this work. ServeMinnesota, the organization that organizes AmeriCorps in the state, has already announced summer opportunities in communities to help with COVID-19 around the state, including Alexandria, Bemidji, Minneapolis, and Duluth.

But capacity is limited. Each year, in total, AmeriCorps only sends 75,000 people around the country to more than 21,000 locations. Rep. Dean Phillips, Democrat of Minnesota’s Third District, wants to rapidly increase the size of the organization. Continue reading.