Friends,

Since the launch of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) last Friday, I’ve been working with institutions throughout our state to ensure that they are ready to assist our small business owners, ranchers, farmers, non-profits, and religious institutions. Over the last few days, I’ve worked with the Wyoming Credit Unions, Wyoming Bankers’ Association, the Wyoming Business Alliance, our County Commissioners, and our hospitals to make sure we are getting support and equipment to our healthcare professionals, small businesses, and our towns and counties across the state. 

This PPP program is essential to allowing small businesses to keep their employees on payroll, and my office and I will continue to answer questions and work to streamline the process so folks have access to the resources they need during this time.

My office is open and working. Please call my Cheyenne office (307-772-2595) if you need any assistance during this time.

Paycheck Protection Program Update:

This morning, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin appeared on Fox Business with Maria Bartiromo and talked about the Administration’s economic response efforts. He also said that the Administration will go back to Congress if small businesses need more money, and detailed how the economic impact payment program will work. Watch the interview here and below:

Last night, the President highlighted that nearly 3,000 lenders have made loans to small businesses through the Paycheck Protection Program. As Secretary Mnuchin said this morning and President Trump has said in the past, additional resources for this program will continue to be made available if they’re needed by small businesses.

It’s important to remember that this program was officially approved by Congress the last week of March, and is already up-and-running because of a Herculean effort from the White House, the Treasury Department, and the Small Business Administration.  

As a reminder, the SBA and President Trump both clarified this past weekend that faith-based organizations are eligible for the program. Answers to specific questions about the program for faith-based organizations can be found here, courtesy of the SBA, and key background on the entire program is available below: 

• Coronavirus.gov Small Business Resources Page
• Treasury Department Overview On The Paycheck Protection Program
• SBA.gov/Coronavirus Small Business Guidance & Loan Resources Page

The Small Business Administration has also launched a hotline for lenders who need assistance accessing SBA’s E-Tran system. That number is: 1-833-572-0502. More answers from the SBA can be found here.

Additionally, SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza published an op-ed yesterday along with Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia about how this program is going to allow workers to stay employed, instead of forcing them to become dependent on the unemployment system:

Fox Business (Administrator Carranza & Secretary Scalia): “Help for America’s small businesses and their workers”

Finally, The Treasury Department is maintaining a frequently updated resource page, with important information for small businesses, lenders, and rules related to the program. They have posted a frequently asked questions document which can be found here and is copied below:

By The Numbers:

The White House released the following rundown that details part of what the Trump Administration’s whole-of-government response has done to help the country combat the coronavirus:

• The Federal Government has deployed over 3,000 military and public health professionals to New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and other parts of our country most affected by coronavirus.
• In the last 7 days, FEMA has airlifted crucial supplies and protective equipment from every corner of the Earth. Since last Sunday, cargo planes have delivered nearly 300 million gloves, almost 8 million masks, and 3 million gowns.
• The government is delivering an additional 600,000 N95 masks to New York City to support its public hospital system, as requested by Mayor Bill de Blasio. Another 200,000 will be delivered to Suffolk County on Long Island.
• Over the last 48 hours, FEMA has delivered an additional 500 ventilators to New Jersey. In addition, Louisiana has received 200, Michigan has received 300, and Illinois has gotten or will get 600 to address potential hotspots.
• As of yesterday, the United States has tested and given results to 1.79 million people—far more than any other country on Earth.
  The President signed into law the CARES Act that provides qualifying families with $2,400 in tax-free payments, along with an additional $500 for each child.
• The Paycheck Protection Program, which launched Friday, approved more than 17,500 loans on its first day. These loans, intended to keep more Americans employed, are 100% forgivable if used for qualifying expenses—and if all employees are kept on payroll.

COVID-19 Mitigation:

Data from the National Bureau of Economic Research found that the epidemic curve is beginning to flatten in New York, and the President said yesterday he is, “increasingly hopeful that the aggressive mitigation strategy we put into place will ultimately allow our hospital system to successfully manage the major influx of cases that that we have right now.”

Supplies:

The President provided an update about the distribution of medical supplies, emphasizing that the Army Corps of Engineers has now built 22 field hospitals and alternate care sites in 18 states, and that his Administration has deployed 8,450 hospital beds from federal stockpiles.

The CARES Act included direct funding for hospitals and the President said yesterday that the first wave of that funding will be delivered this week.

He also announced that more than 8,000 ventilators have been sent to states from the Strategic National Stockpile, and Admiral Brett Giroir said encouragingly that the federal government has been able to, “meet and easily meet all the ventilator requirements that have been brought to us by the states.” He added that, “no one has not gotten a ventilator that needs a ventilator, and as far as we can project looking at our models, every person who needs a ventilator will get a ventilator.”

As part of the partnership between FEMA and HHS and through “Project Airbridge,” 11.7 million N95 respirators, 26.5 million surgical masks, 5.3 million face shields, 4.4 million surgical gowns, and 22.6 million gloves have been distributed. The President also announced that because of his invocation of the Defense Production Act, 3M will deliver an additional 55.5 million face masks each month. 

Coronavirus Testing Update: 

There have now been 1.79 million tests conducted in the United States as of last night and the President said that the number of tests being done is growing by 125,000 per day. 

He also said that CVS is launching two new drive thru testing sites in Atlanta, Georgia, and Providence, Rhode Island. Each location will be able to test up to 1,000 patients per day using the Abbott rapid diagnostic test. This morning, Walgreens announced that they would be opening 15 drive thru testing sites in 7 states (Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Tennessee and Texas) and they also would be using the Abbott rapid diagnostic test. 

During the briefing, Admiral Giroir also said that he was hopeful that millions of antibody tests would be on the market in May, and these tests will provide important surveillance that allows for people to be tested to see if they’ve been exposed, are immune, and can go back to work. As he said, “a combination of that kind of test with the current kind of test we have now is how America opens back up again.”

Therapeutics And Vaccines:

The President announced yesterday that 10 different therapeutic agents are currently in active clinical trials, and there are another 15 that will be in trials soon. He also said that a second company – Inovio Pharmaceuticals – announced that the FDA has authorized its vaccine candidate to begin clinical trials.

The people of Wyoming always rise to meet challenges in the face of adversity. Today, our doctors, nurses, health care professionals and emergency responders are bravely answering the call to serve when we need them the most. We thank these heroes for their tireless work.

Please follow this newsletter and the coronavirus page on my website for continued updates about COVID-19 and how government is responding to protect both the country’s health and our economic security. 

Congresswoman Liz Cheney