Boston (April 28, 2020) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Small Business Committee, released the following statement on the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

“The Paycheck Protection Program was created to help the truly small business, like our hard-hit Massachusetts hair salons, local restaurants, mom and pop shops, and the more than 669,000 small businesses that make our Commonwealth’s economy run. It is outrageous that larger companies took advantage of unclear guidelines and stronger banking relationships and got loans while truly needy small businesses were left empty-handed. The Paycheck Protection Program is supposed to provide relief to those who need it most, not just those with the best connections.

“I’ve held numerous conference calls with hundreds of small businesses across the state, and I’m hearing especially from women- and minority-owned businesses that they are not getting the same access to relief as others. We cannot allow the Paycheck Protection Program to perpetuate a system of have and have-nots during this economic emergency. As we craft the next relief package, we need to ensure stricter oversight and enforcement with formal guidance to protect truly small businesses. I will continue to fight so that Massachusetts’s small businesses can protect their workers and survive this emergency.”

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