Small Business Owners Express PPP Concerns to Rep. Newhouse

4th District Representative Dan Newhouse held a telephone town hall with small business owners from across Central Washington last week.

The Paycheck Protection Program, part of the CARES Act, was extended from 8 weeks to 24 weeks earlier this year. With the program ending Tuesday, many are asking 'What's next?'

Newhouse said, "The impacts of businesses being closed for a long period of time are tremendous and hard. I think that that's probably where people are concerned. That the relief money is going to run out, and we're still going to be closed, and now what do we do?"

Many of those in the call said the PPP program was the only thing keeping them above water.

"In the spirit of full transparency, my family farm did receive a PPP loan." continued Newhouse, "I can tell you as a family-owned business, my son, who is now running the farm, is experiencing the same thing that many farmers and ranchers around the county are experiencing; smaller markets, limited labor supplies, and fluctuating prices."

72% of the participants on the call had successfully received a loan from the Paycheck Protection Program.