Press Releases
Newly-released Small Business Administration (SBA) guidance will allow tribal small businesses that were previously excluded to access loans through the Paycheck Protection Program. While the CARES Act passed by Congress last month provided for tribal small businesses to access Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, the SBA had released an interim rule that excluded tribally-operated gaming businesses from accessing this critical assistance. Davids led a bipartisan, bicameral effort of 38 lawmakers urging the SBA to change their rule and today they did.
Representative Sharice Davids helped secure additional funding for small businesses, hospitals, health care workers and COVID-19 testing, voting for the "The Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act" earlier today.
Representative Sharice Davids emphasized the importance of addressing health disparities in Wyandotte County yesterday during a Facebook Live with a Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, KS Public Health Department official.
Although black residents make up around 23 percent of Wyandotte County's population, they represent more than half of the people testing positive for COVID-19, as well as two-thirds of COVID-19-related deaths. Wyandotte County currently has the most confirmed positive cases of coronavirus in the state.
Representative Sharice Davids issued the following statement on the release of sensitive tribal government data related to CARES Act funds, as well as news that these funds are not being fairly distributed to tribes as intended.
As critical small business loan programs rapidly run out of money, Representative Sharice Davids urged congressional leaders to put partisan politics aside and reach a bipartisan consensus on funding for small business relief programs.
Representative Sharice Davids issued the following statement on the shortage of medical supplies needed to fight the coronavirus and keep frontline workers and their patients safe in Kansas:
"Kansas still doesn't have the supplies we need to tackle this public health crisis. It's unacceptable that we rank 50th among other states in per capita testing. And it's unacceptable that our calls to FEMA for more supplies aren't being met.
"The decision to overturn Governor Kelly's executive order is not only outrageous and irresponsible – it's putting lives at risk. Rather than work to ensure the health and safety of Kansans, extremists in the state legislature have created chaos and confusion and endangered our public health.
Representative Sharice Davids issued the following statement on community health centers in Kansas being awarded nearly $15.4 million in federal aid as part of Congress' latest coronavirus relief package, the CARES Act:
Today, Representative Sharice Davids (KS-03) and Representative Ruben Gallego (AZ-07) led a letter signed by 38 bipartisan members of Congress calling for tribal small businesses to have access to critical relief programs that would help pay their workers and keep their businesses afloat during the coronavirus pandemic.
Representative Sharice Davids issued the following statement on the need to fix the Paycheck Protection Program, a small businesses loan program established under the CARES Act: