Wyden: New SBA Guidance Will Help Oregon’s Rural Health Districts, Tribes and Employee-owned Businesses Get COVID-19 Economic Aid

As ranking member of the Finance Committee, senator welcomes expanded PPP access he sought

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden said today that new guidance from the Small Business Administration (SBA) on who can participate in the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) will help rural health district hospitals, tribes and employee-owned businesses in Oregon and nationwide.

As ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, Wyden had advocated strongly for the SBA to make those much-needed clarifications that will expand the PPP to include qualifying rural medical providers, tribal casinos and employee-owned businesses.

“Oregon needs the fullest possible access to economic lifelines Congress wrote into law for the Small Business Administration to offer during this public health crisis,” Wyden said.

“More needs to be done on all fronts and I won’t stop working to expand the Paycheck Protection Program to reach its fullest potential for small businesses,” he said, “but am gratified that my advocacy for rural health providers, tribes and employee-owned businesses will help these job generators statewide.”

“Thanks goes to Senator Wyden and his team in working hard to get the right language in place which allows Critical Access Hospital Districts to qualify for the PPP program,”  said Bob Houser, CEO of Morrow County Health District/Pioneer Memorial Hospital in Heppner. ”This rule change took a lot of persistence and was extremely important in the survival of Oregon’s District CAHs.”

Additional details about the latest SBA guidance on what’s eligible for PPP are here.

Source: Office of Ron Wyden, Senator of Oregon.