Trump says will ask Congress for more small business funds if money runs out

WASHINGTON: U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday he would ask Congress for more money to make loans to small businesses struggling with the economic fallout from the coronavirus outbreak if the original $349 billion allocated in a fiscal stimulus bill runs out.

“I will immediately ask Congress for more money to support small businesses under the @ppploan if the allocated money runs out,” Trump wrote in a post on Twitter.

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The launch of the small business bailout fund has been rocky since it opened on Friday morning.

Tens of thousands of businesses have swamped lenders, community bankers have complained of an inability to access the Small Business Administration (SBA)’s system and the Treasury Department was still issuing updated guidance and form templates on Friday afternoon.

As of Friday evening, lenders originated more than 17,000 loans valued at about $5.4 billion under the program, Jovita Carranza, the administrator of the Small Business Administration, said in a tweet.