Pressure ramps up on Congress to spend more on coronavirus crisis as small business funds run low
April 15, 2020 / By Kasie Hunt, Leigh Ann Caldwell, Alex Moe and Julie Tsirkin
Democratic leaders on Wednesday were digging in and fleshing out their demands for the next coronavirus relief package as money in the fund aimed at rescuing small businesses comes close to running out, multiple sources familiar with the funding told NBC News.
The funds could be exhausted as early as Wednesday evening, multiple Republican sources said after an update Wednesday afternoon from the Small Business Administration showed that over $300 billion of the $350 billion had been spoken for.
Republican and Democratic aides in both the House and Senate had previously been operating under the assumption the money would last through Friday — which would potentially give lawmakers a chance to pass a bill in pro forma sessions scheduled Thursday and Friday.
