Interim COVID-19 Funding Package Reflects National Urban League's Advocacy

NEW YORK (April 21, 2020) -- National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial today commended senators who responded to the organization’s insistence on the inclusion in the interim COVID-19 bill of funding for Small Business Administration Disaster Loans and Grants and for community-based lenders.

But, he said, the organization will continue to fight for adequate support for local governments.
“There is no question that the aid package the Senate passed today was much enhanced by the support for SBA’s disaster grant & loan programs, and for smaller lenders including community-based institutions,” Morial said. “Our movement pushed relentlessly for these provisions and we are enormously grateful for the efforts of Senators Chuck Schumer, Sherrod Brown, Chris Van Hollen, Ben Cardin and Cory Booker.  We urge immediate passage in the House and appreciate the work of Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Representatives Karen Bass, Maxine Waters and Nydia Velazquez.

“So much work remains, however, and we must turn our attention to the plight of the nation’s cities,” Morial said.

In response to the National Urban League’s advocacy, the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, which passed the Senate today, included $60 billion for SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan and Emergency Economic Injury Disaster Grant program, which have been depleted by overwhelming demand. The bill also includes a $60 billion pool of funding within the Paycheck Protection Program for small and mid-sized banks and credit unions as well as community-based lending institutions.

“This pool of funding finally will give unbanked and underserved establishments, including minority-owned and rural Main Street businesses and smaller non-profits, access to funding through the Paycheck Protection  Program,” Morial said. “These are the businesses that were left stranded when massive Wall Street-backed corporations muscled in on the last round of loans.”

Morial said his organization continues to work with members of Congress on delivering aid to local governments.

“Police officers, firefighters and paramedics, sanitation workers – they’re all on the front lines of the pandemic,” Morial said. “This is not a moment where we can skimp on essential, lifesaving services and local governments need help to provide them.” 

The National Urban League is a historic civil rights organization dedicated to economic empowerment in order to elevate the standard of living in historically underserved urban communities. The National Urban League spearheads the efforts of its 90 local affiliates through the development of programs, public policy research and advocacy, providing direct services that impact and improve the lives of more than 2 million people annually nationwide. Visit www.nul.org and follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @NatUrbanLeague.