Paycheck Protection Program

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I am here this afternoon to speak about the critical aspect of the paycheck act as it relates to businesses, particularly in the newspaper and broadcasting business. It is so important for us to address this issue because these are the people who are on the frontlines delivering the information to us about this crisis.

Unfortunately, in the past legislation, we did not include associations of broadcasters and newspapers under the definition, so up to several thousand newspapers and hundreds of local radio and television stations across the country are without existing programs by the small business affiliation rule to assist these companies in keeping important news print and news broadcasting staff at their jobs.

When I think about what I have learned about the coronavirus from these individuals, what I have learned about the broadcast information of nursing home problems, what I have learned about issues with Remdesivir, I all know that it came down to the local media who was telling us about it. So when I think of the headlines I am seeing--the LA Times, ``Coronavirus crisis hastens the collapse of local newspapers.''; ``Long-Struggling Local Newspapers Pushed to Brink Brought by Coronavirus''--I know it is time for us to do something to help these individuals, and I hope that we can do that soon.

We need the media--the local small media--to help us continue to communicate. After all, the basis of a democracy is about truth and transparency, and they are helping to build a community of truth and transparency. We need to help them during this crisis.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source