Obernolte holds roundtable with CA-08 business community, sponsors Congressional resolution requiring accounting of unspent COVID-19 stimulus

U.S. Congressman Jay Obernolte (CA-08) sponsored a resolution requiring accounting of unspent COVID-19 stimulus funds this week in a move to support businesses and families still awaiting desperately needed COVID-19 aid. He discussed the resolution at a roundtable meeting of his Small Business Advisory Committee on Tuesday focused on changes still needed to rebuild California’s 8^th District economy.

Congressman Obernolte joined House Budget Committee Republican Leader Jason Smith (MO-08), House Oversight and Reform Committee Republican Leader James Comer (KY-01) and colleagues to introduce the resolution, which requires the Biden Administration provide documents to Congress on unspent COVID-19 emergency aid. Current estimates show roughly $1 trillion in COVID-19 stimulus funding remains unspent, which is nearly 1 in every 4 dollars allocated for COVID-19 relief to date.

“It is unconscionable that over one trillion dollars remain unspent while people and businesses continue to suffer in places like the High Desert, Inland Empire, and Eastern Sierras. We must ensure that delivering this money to those who desperately need it is our first priority,” said Rep. Obernolte. “This week I met virtually with small businesses and chambers of commerce from across my district, and their message was clear: Improving the PPP program and ensuring existing relief dollars are spent quickly is the best way to help our communities recover.”

Congressman Obernolte’s roundtable discussion with small businesses and chambers of commerce from across California’s 8^th District comes as Congress moves to enact another $1.9 trillion COVID-19 aid package in the coming weeks, bringing the total amount of COVID-19 aid spending to over $17,000 per American. The group discussed the need for existing relief dollars to be spent quickly to help economic recovery, improvements needed to the Paycheck Protection Program and job killing policies under consideration in the new package such as a federal minimum wage increase and non-emergency holdover funds for special interests.

 

Photos and videos from Tuesday’s Small Business Advisory Committee meeting are available here.

Read the resolution here.