共和国总统乔·拜登周一下午宣布了对薪资保障计划(PPP)的修改，包括两周的期限，只允许员工少于20人的企业申请贷款，以及增加种族平等的努力。
“小企业是我们经济进步的引擎。他们是胶水，是我们社区的核心和灵魂。但他们正在被粉碎，”拜登在白宫公布这些变化的活动中说。
作为去年12月份9000亿美元贷款的一部分，该项目获得了2840亿美元的小企业贷款新冠肺炎救援计划并于1月11日对贷款人和借款人重新开放。
政府官员说，在第一个月，小企业管理局已经批准了大约1，340亿美元的可原谅的小企业贷款给大约180万小企业，平均贷款规模大约为74，000美元。大约80%的贷款流向了员工不到10人的企业。
如果通过，拜登的1.9万亿美元美国救援计划可能会在本周结束前在众议院进行最低投票，这也将为该计划增加70亿美元。拜登在周一的讲话中呼吁立法者支持通过该法案。
“这是起点，不是终点。我们需要国会通过我的美国救援计划，”拜登说。
薪资保障计划一直受到两党议员的欢迎，拜登试图在他的讲话中利用这一受欢迎的情况。
“我希望——我希望——作为支持购买力平价计划的民主党人和共和党人，民主党人和共和党人将支持美国救援计划，”他说。
拜登周一宣布的改进措施包括从美国东部时间周三上午9点开始的14天期限，只有员工少于20人的企业才能申请救济。美国东部时间3月9日下午5点结束。政府官员表示，这将使银行能够专注于为最小的企业服务。
为了改进公平分配在贷款方面，政府官员表示，改革的目的还在于通过修改该计划的融资方案，帮助个体业主、独立承包商和个体经营者获得更多的财政支持。在这些企业中，没有员工的70%由女性和有色人种拥有，根据以前的购买力平价计算，一些企业只获得了1美元的贷款。至少有10亿美元也用于这一类别的业务。
官员们表示，小企业管理局将修改贷款计算公式，以符合国会在《经济援助法案》中为小农和牧场主授权的方法。
拜登还取消了阻止有非欺诈重罪前科的小企业主通过公私伙伴关系获得救济的限制，阻止了拖欠联邦学生贷款的小企业主获得救济。
总统试图让那些持有绿卡或签证的人更容易获得援助。政府官员说，作为美国合法居民的小企业主可以使用个人纳税人识别号来申请。
官员们表示，他们正在密切监测资金流动，目前没有要求国会延长该计划3月31日的到期日。
Biden announces changes to PPP loan program, with focus on smallest businesses
President Joe Biden announced changes to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Monday afternoon, including a two-week window that only allows businesses with fewer than 20 employees to apply for loans, and efforts to increase racial equity.
"Small businesses are the engines of our economic progress. They're the glue, and the heart and soul of our communities. But they're getting crushed," Biden said during remarks at a White House event to unveil the changes.
The program received $284 billion for small business loans as part of December’s $900 billion COVID-19 relief package and reopened to lenders and borrowers on Jan. 11.
Administration officials say in the first month, the Small Business Administration has approved about $134 billion in forgivable small business loans to about 1.8 million small businesses for an average loan size of about $74,000. About 80% of those loans have gone to businesses with less than 10 employees.
If passed, Biden’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, which could see a floor vote in the House by the end of the week, would also add another $7 billion into the program. Biden used his Monday speech as an appeal to lawmakers to support passing the bill.
"This is a starting point, not the ending point. We need Congress to pass my American Rescue Plan," Biden said.
The Paycheck Protection Program has been popular with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, and Biden attempted to capitalize on that popularity in his remarks.
"It's my hope -- my hope -- that as Democrats and Republicans who have backed the PPP program, that Democrats and Republicans will back the American Rescue Plan," he said.
Among the improvements Biden announced Monday is a 14-day period, starting on Wednesday at 9 a.m. ET, where only businesses with fewer than 20 employees can apply for relief. That ends on March 9 at 5 p.m. ET. Administration officials said this would allow lenders to focus on serving the smallest businesses.
In an attempt to improve equitable distribution of loans, administration officials said changes would also be aimed at helping sole proprietors, independent contractors and self-employed individuals to receive more financial support by revising the program’s funding formula. Of these businesses, those without employees are 70% owned by women and people of color, and with previous PPP calculations, some were approved for as little as $1 in loans. At least $1 billion is also being set aside for businesses in this category.
Officials said the Small Business Administration would revise the loan calculation formula to match the approach authorized by Congress in the Economic Aid Act for small farmers and ranchers.
Biden also eliminated restrictions that prevent small business owners with prior non-fraud felony convictions from obtaining relief through the PPP, preventing small business owners who are delinquent on their federal student loans from obtaining relief.
The president is attempting to make it easier for those with green cards or on a visa to get aid as well. Administration officials said small business owners who are lawful U.S. residents could use an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITNs) to apply.
Officials said they are closely monitoring the flow of funds and aren’t currently asking Congress to extend the March 31 expiration date for the program.
