Letter to the Hon. Isabella Casillas Guzman - Congresswoman Tenney Demands Answers About Federal Pandemic Relief Loan Forgiveness Granted to Planned Parenthood Affiliate

Letter

Dear Administrator Guzman:

It has recently come to my attention that Planned Parenthood of Central and Western New York (PPCWNY) received full forgiveness for $2.6 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. In other words, under your watch, the Small Business Administration (SBA) funneled taxpayer funds to an affiliate of the nation's largest and most notorious provider of abortion on demand. This loan forgiveness is a betrayal of assurances made by the SBA to Congress that any errors in the distribution of PPP loans due to self-attestation would be fixed by the SBA on the back end.

Per the original terms of the Paycheck Protection Program, Planned Parenthood affiliates are ineligible to receive loan forgiveness since they do not fall within the program's affiliation rules and size standards. On May 19, 2020, the SBA notified Planned Parenthood affiliates that they were ineligible for PPP applications due to the affiliation rules and requested that these organizations return their taxpayer funded PPP loans. Even though PPCWNY is clearly an affiliate of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, which has approximately 16,000 employees, it has successfully subverted the rules established by Congress and illicitly reaped significant financial benefit as a result.

At a November 17, 2021, hearing of the House Small Business Committee, I inquired about several concerns I had regarding millions of dollars in loans and forgiveness that SBA has provided to Planned Parenthood affiliates. While you were unable to speak to my specific concerns at the time and have not followed up to reply to my inquiries, I am optimistic that you may be able to do so within the specific parameters of this case.

Therefore, I request answers and clarification to the following questions regarding the SBA's forgiveness of $2.6 million in federal PPP loans to PPCWNY:

-Are you aware that Planned Parenthood affiliates, including PPCWNY, received PPP loans and forgiveness on those loans?

-According to the SBA's own letter from May 2020, Planned Parenthood affiliates are ineligible to receive PPP loans. Please provide me with a written justification for the SBA's reversal of this determination.

-How does SBA's decision to grant forgiveness for Planned Parenthood affiliates comply with the affiliation rules established by Congress?

-What criteria was used in your determination that allowed Planned Parenthood of Central and Western New York to receive PPP loan forgiveness?

I look forward to hearing your responses to these important questions, and I urge you to follow the law and ensure that taxpayer funds provided to Planned Parenthood affiliates under the PPP program are returned to the federal government.

Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

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