December 4, 2020
The Honorable Mitch McConnell
US Senate Majority Leader
317 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Leader McConnell,
On behalf of Kentucky's largest business organization, we are writing to express the critical need for Congress to pass added pandemic relief for small businesses and families before the end of this year. We know that enacting a bill will require bipartisan compromise. The release of a proposal from a bipartisan group of Senate and House members as well as the revisions to the Senate GOP proposal provide an opening to break the current impasse.
We encourage you to: (1) push for a bipartisan agreement that can pass this year and (2) ensure that, as the bill is drafted, the PPP provision provides for support for all non-profits including 501(c)(6)s and the liability provisions provide meaningful protection like Senators Cornyn's and McConnell's Safe to Work Act.
The cost of Congress failing to act could be catastrophic for Kentucky:
According to recent Census Bureau polling,
29.5 percent of Kentuckians expect to lose employment income in the next month
10.7 percent are either not current on their rent or mortgage or have little confidence they can make next month's payment
On December 26, unemployment benefits for more than 87,000 individuals in Kentucky will expire.
This month, more small businesses in Kentucky reported they had reduced employment (10 percent) than had increased employment (3.5 percent).
Nearly 26 percent of Kentucky small businesses saw a drop in revenue this month.
74 percent of Kentucky small businesses received assistance through the Paycheck Protection Program.
But nearly all have exhausted their PPP funding and approximately 26 percent expect to need additional financial assistance in the next six months.
Your efforts to complete a pandemic relief bill prior to the end of the year will save countless small businesses and families across the commonwealth.
We appreciate your consideration and your commitment to the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Sincerely,
Ashli Watts
President and CEO
Kentucky Chamber of Commerce