The nation's small businesses need the extra $250 billion being sought by the Trump administration for federal loans to help them stay afloat, and politics shouldn't come into play to approve it, Rep. Kevin Brady said Thursday.
"My belief is politics can wait," the Texas Republican said on Fox News' "Fox and Friends." "Small businesses can't. Certainly not their workers. So the House needs to pick this up as a clean bill and approve it."
Many community banks jumped into the initial loan program, funded at $377 billion through the CARES Act, said Brady, but there are several small businesses that may not have a local lending relationship, so the extra money makes sure there is plenty to help meet that need.
However, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement Wednesday that they also want to see $100 billion for hospitals and $150 billion for state and local governments. Democrats are also calling for a 15% increase in nutrition programs for the needy.
Brady, however, said small businesses can't wait for that to happen and need the $250 billion backed by Republicans and the White House.
"What I worry about is another delay like she pulled on the CARES package where we essentially had this agreed in a bipartisan way on Sunday before she rode into town and delayed it fully four days," said Brady.
Brady also commented Thursday on Sen. Bernie Sanders' withdrawal from the Democrats' race for the White House after the Vermont senator said on a late-night show that he believes presumptive nominee Joe Biden must get more progressives around him.
"Bernie Sanders may be suspending his campaign but his socialist ideas continue to live on," said Brady. "They seem to be embraced more each day by Joe Biden."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.