WASHINGTON – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema called on the Small Business Administration (SBA) to immediately reopen the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) application portal now that Congress has appropriated additional funds for the program.
“I hear directly from Arizona small businesses about the need for immediate economic assistance during the coronavirus pandemic. The Small Business Administration must do its job and immediately re-open the EIDL application portal so businesses across Arizona can access needed resources now,” said Sinema.
Read Sinema’s full letter HERE.
In the recent Congressionally-approved coronavirus package, Sinema helped secure $60 billion for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and grants in addition to $310 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program, with $60 billion reserved for smaller lenders, $75 billion for health care providers, and $25 billion for testing, including $11 billion directly to states. Despite the additional $60 billion, the Small Business Administration still has not reopened the application portal for the EIDL, leaving Arizona small businesses unable to apply for assistance.
Sinema holds weekly calls with the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Arizona small businesses on which she answers questions about coronavirus relief and helps employers with PPP and EIDL applications. Sinema also helped secure a number of priorities in the sweeping coronavirus-response CARES Act law, including a $150 billion relief fund for state, local, and Tribal governments, $55 billion more in investments in hospitals and health care workers, and an increase in unemployment benefits. Sinema also recently wrote an op-ed outlining Arizona needs she is working to include in the next coronavirus-response legislation.
Sinema has also added a resources page to her website, www.sinema.senate.gov/corona, for Arizonans looking for the latest information on coronavirus.
