NEWS: @SenJeffMerkley, @ChrisVanHollen and I are proposing a massive emergency grant program for small and medium-sized businesses. Our belief is that we need to go big in order to save small businesses.
A short thread on what that means 👇
A short thread on what that means 👇
2/ The economic crisis is getting worse by the minute, and we are proposing a program that will keep thousands of small businesses afloat. It's call the Main Street Emergency Grant Program. 
3/ If businesses close, their workers get laid off and everyone suffers. The Main Street Emergency Grant Program would provide GRANTS, NOT LOANS, to help businesses and nonprofits stay afloat. The goal is to keep businesses from folding so workers have jobs to return to.
4/ If a business fails to rehire the majority of its workforce, grants could revert to loans and businesses would be obligated to pay them back. Midsize businesses and nonprofits would also be eligible for interest-free loans that could be forgiven if program criteria are met.
5/ Senator Rubio's proposal is a good start, but our belief is that we need to go bigger. The Main Street Emergency Grant Program covers a broader array of businesses, provides grants, not loans, and will make available twice as much overall capital for small businesses.
