Durango Herald - Scott Tipton: Democrats held up pandemic relief

Op-Ed

By Scott Tipton

The COVID-19 outbreak is unlike any other crisis we've faced, and it is testing the resiliency of communities across the nation. In Colorado's 3rd Congressional District, like in most places, small businesses are closed, families are home, students are learning remotely, and many others are worried about their futures.

Some people are wondering what it is all for, as perhaps they have not been personally impacted by COVID-19. The clearest answer is that it is to save lives. It is to save our grandparents, our friends, neighbors or family members who may be at higher risk of severe illness or death from the virus. Taking these measures seriously and working together greatly improves our chances to reopen businesses and return to regular order sooner rather than later.

While the actions taken by the federal government, states, counties and municipalities to temporarily close communities and to limit travel and certain commerce may seem harsh, the strategy is based on mountains of public health data on what has happened with COVID-19 in other cities and countries. Adhering to the guidance set by the experts who have conducted these studies is working.

Social distancing has so far prevented over-burdening medical facilities in our district with sick patients and has saved the lives of countless others. Through a combination of adhering to guidance of experts and additional financial support through Congress, we have prevented rural hospitals from shutting down in the middle of a public health emergency. Many rural health centers struggle under normal circumstances, and provisions in the CARES Act contained direct funding to these facilities. I was glad to see this critical legislation signed by President Trump and supported almost unanimously in Congress.

As many of us remain at home to help flatten the curve, this waiting period does not make the economic impacts of this pandemic any easier, especially for those who are out of work or facing the possible loss of their businesses. That is why the CARES Act was a necessary means for the government to step in and return your tax dollars to your communities as a lifeline to keep families paid and businesses afloat. It is already having a significant impact in the Third District where rural communities are often hardest hit by economic downturns.

Prior to COVID-19, rural Colorado was experiencing some of the same economic growth seen by Denver-metro areas following the 2008 recession. To help support small businesses that have been delivering that growth, the CARES Act established the Paycheck Protection Program. This program has provided a vital lifeline to ensure impacted businesses stay afloat for now and quickly rebound when the outbreak subsides. In Colorado, over 28,000 businesses have already been approved for PPP loans totaling over $5.8 billion. Due to the popularity of the program, the funding for the loans ran out on April 16. Many business owners are now in limbo, waiting for Congress to add additional funds to the program.

Unfortunately, Democratic leaders in Congress were actively blocking additional funds for these programs in order to increase federal spending on separate programs before a deal was reached Tuesday. This was completely unacceptable. Playing partisan politics with people's livelihoods in the middle of this crisis is shameful and reckless, and I called on my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to pressure Senator Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to move a clean extension of the PPP without adding more unnecessary federal spending.

Coloradans have a long history of coming together during times of crisis. I continue to be amazed at the kindness and generosity shown by individuals and community leaders. While the federal government has a big role to play in the recovery, the brunt of the effort falls on local communities where leaders from all walks of life and all political persuasions have stepped up to make the best of a tough time. During this crisis, a vast majority of people continue to do the right thing by accepting the gravity of the situation at hand and embracing this temporary way of life to keep their communities healthy and save lives. We are all in this together, and I promise to keep doing my best to fight for our communities so that we can return to normalcy as soon as possible. In the meantime, I always welcome your comments and ideas and encourage you to reach out to my office if I can be of service to you.

Source