TULSA, OK – On Monday, Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) held a virtual town hall with local business owners to answer their questions on new small business loans and the Paycheck Protection Program created by the CARES Act signed into law on Friday by President Trump.

“I was a business owner for more than 30 years,” said Rep. Hern. “My wife still runs several of my companies and we are feeling the strain of coronavirus on those ventures. I know firsthand what these business owners are dealing with, and I know how confusing it can be to sort through complicated legislation while dealing with the stresses of a crisis like this. I wanted to make this as easy and soothing for our business leaders as I can. Government caused this problem by directly interfering in the lives and livelihoods of our community, so government must provide the repayment. If there’s any hope of resurrecting our economy after this, we need to keep our businesses strong during it.”

There were 78 attendees on the call, including two staff members from the House Small Business Committee, Joe Hartz and Rob Yavor, who helped our business owners understand the details of the CARES Act.

Background Information:

More information on the Payroll Protection Program and the Small Business loans included in the CARES Act can be found here.