Treasury Department

The Senate had passed the bill Tuesday, shortly before the Small Business Administration was to stop accepting new loan applications.

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said about 300 lenders have signed on to the program and that the central bank is committed to making adjustments that could attract more borrowers.

The agencies said late Friday that they will provide information on small businesses that received $150,000 or more from the Paycheck Protection Program.

The inability of Democrats and Republicans to agree on a chairperson and lack of sufficient personnel have made it harder for the commission to do its job — hold Treasury and the Fed accountable for implementing the coronavirus relief law, observers say.

In letters to administration officials and large banks, the lawmakers sought details about loan recipients following reports that financial institutions had favored their wealthiest clients.

Evidence suggests some minority-owned businesses can’t access loans, and the Trump administration is under pressure to report borrower demographics. The issue is gaining attention against the backdrop of protests over the George Floyd killing.

The lawmakers cited concerns from small businesses that the current application to have coronavirus relief loans forgiven is “especially burdensome, time-consuming, and costly.”

Members of the Small Business Committee signaled backing for broadening Paycheck Protection Program access for the smallest companies, encouraging participation by nonbank lenders and other improvements.

Activity in the Paycheck Protection Program has slowed in recent weeks, but Customers Bancorp and Fountainhead Capital continue to pursue loans aggressively in hopes of developing long-term borrower relationships.

Bankers said legislative fixes to the small-business rescue program should help more borrowers secure loan forgiveness, though new demand will likely remain tepid because the process is still extremely cumbersome.

The bill, which passed the House last week on a 471-1 vote, now heads to President Trump’s desk for his signature.

The funds include $3.2 billion in loans that community development financial institutions had already approved during the PPP's second phase.

The funds include $3.2 billion in loans that community development financial institutions had already approved during the PPP's second phase.

The new legislation directs the Treasury Department to protect electronic payments that Americans receive through the pandemic rescue package.

The new legislation directs the Treasury Department to protect electronic payments that Americans receive through the pandemic rescue package.

The new Paycheck Protection Program rules, which created a review process and timeline for paying lenders, did not extend the time borrowers have to comply or increase how much money can be spent nonpayroll expenses.

Jennifer Roberts, the company's head of business banking, details a process to have units work one-on-one with customers to get Paycheck Protection Program funds deployed faster.

Nearly 4 million households that were to be mailed paper checks will instead receive their pandemic relief aid via prepaid debit cards issued by MetaBank.

Members of the Banking Committee pressed the Treasury secretary and Fed chief to ensure CARES Act funds are deployed as Congress intended. They also debated the need for more stimulus to ease the economic effects of the coronavirus.

The Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility is just one example of a fund that could be retooled.