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CARES Act Small-Business Loans Out of Funding

The $349 billion Paycheck Protection Program that launched two weeks ago is depleted, and plans to replenish it have not yet come to fruition.

Two weeks after it launched, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is out of money, and Congress hasn’t been able to agree to a plan to replenish its funding.

Small Business Administration

Part of the CARES Act, the $349 billion program was meant to provide small-business loans of up to two-and-a-half times average payroll, capping at $10 million. The loans were given out by banks and other lenders but overseen by the Small Business Administration (SBA), and were set up to be 100% forgivable if used to keep employees on payroll or pay certain other allowable expenses.

As of Thursday, April 16 the SBA noted on its website that it “is unable to accept new applications … based on available appropriations funding.”

The SBA had also shut down applications for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) that had been set up to help businesses cope with the fallout from coronavirus. The low-interest loans of up to $2 million included advances (essentially grants) of up to $10,000. The SBA reported on Thursday, April 16 that more than 1.6 million PPP loan applications valued at more than $339 billion had been approved. The U.S. has about 30 million small businesses total.

Last week, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin had asked Congress to add $250 billion to the PPP program, but Congress wasn’t able to reach a consensus on funding, with Democrats looking to pass an additional $250 billion to help hospitals, cities and states, and beef up food stamps. Talks are still ongoing, however, and a vote for additional funding could come soon.

Many promotional products companies have applied for both PPP loans and EIDL advances, and though there was confusion and delays early on for many, there’s also evidence that the programs are working for those who’ve been able to get an application in and approved. Rich Santo, CEO of Chicago-based Culture Studio (asi/700559), says his company got its PPP loan earlier this week and will be ramping its staff back up to 100%, thanks to the program. “We’re going to bring everybody back,” he says.

Future funding from Congress would be used to help protect American workers – 5.2 million of which have filed for unemployment insurance in the past week, bringing the total number of Americans who’ve filed for unemployment in the last four weeks to 22 million.