**Rep. Kuster traveled to Washington, D.C. today to vote in favor of the legislation**

**$484 billion funding package includes funding for hospitals, personal protective equipment for frontline workers, and increased testing**

**Legislation provides additional $310 billion for Paycheck Protection Program, $50 billion for Small Business Administration emergency disaster lending**

Today, Rep. Annie Kuster (NH-02) voted for the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Investment Act to fund increased COVID-19 testing, support Granite State hospitals and frontline workers, and provide additional funding for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). In addition to this bipartisan legislation, the House also voted to establish a Select Committee on the Coronavirus Crisis which will provide critical fiscal oversight of taxpayer dollars being spent to combat this pandemic. 

“Today, I traveled to Washington, D.C. to vote for bipartisan legislation to ensure that New Hampshire receives additional funding and support as we continue responding to the public health and economic crisis caused by the spread of COVID-19,” said Kuster. “The relief bill we passed today is another step in our ongoing efforts to protect Americans throughout this unprecedented public health emergency and mitigate the financial burden this pandemic has caused for families, workers, and businesses across the country.”

“While physical distancing is necessary and effective, our efforts to ‘flatten the curve’ have had far-reaching economic consequences for millions of Americans,” Kuster continued. “This legislation will expand testing and provide additional support to our small businesses, hospitals, workers, and families so that we can continue our progress to stem the spread of this virus. I’ll continue working to support Granite Staters through this pandemic as we move towards recovery.”

This interim emergency coronavirus relief legislation includes:

For small businesses: 

• $310 billion in additional funding for the Paycheck Protection Program, with $30 billion reserved for community-based lenders, small banks and credit unions and $30 billion for medium-sized banks and credit unions.
• $50 billion for SBA disaster lending, translating into more than $350 billion in loans, and $10 billion in SBA disaster grants.

For hospitals and health care workers:

• $75 billion to provide resources to the frontlines, including Personal Protective Equipment.

For all Americans: 

• $25 billion for testing, which is the key to reopening the economy and resuming our lives. 

Rep. Kuster called for increased funding for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) after the program’s funding ran out last week. Earlier this month, Congresswoman Kuster and Congressman Chris Pappas urged Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader McConnell to increase funding for small business assistance.

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