■ President Joe Biden showcased small-business aid as his relief plan tour continued.
Tour to promote $1.9B relief plan continues
CHESTER, Pa. — President Joe Biden turned up at a minority-owned flooring business in suburban Philadelphia on Tuesday to highlight how his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package can help small businesses.
The visit to Smith Flooring, Inc. was Biden’s first stop in a cross-country administration roadshow — also involving his vice president and his wife — designed to publicize, and take credit for, the virus relief package.
While Biden was in Pennsylvania for his first stop on the “Help Is Here” tour, Vice President Kamala Harris and husband Doug Emhoff were reinforcing the small-business theme Tuesday with stops in Colorado.
In Washington, the Senate confirmed Isabel Guzman, Biden’s pick to lead the Small Business Administration on Tuesday. She is expected to play a key role in implementing the relief bill.
The Biden administration estimates that 400,000 small businesses have closed because of the pandemic and millions more are barely surviving. His aid package includes a $28 billion grant program to support restaurants and drinking establishments. It also includes $15 billion in flexible grants.
The visit to Smith Flooring was meant to drive home that point.
The business saw revenue fall about 20 percent during the pandemic. It recently qualified for a federal Paycheck Protection Program loan during a two-week window in which the Biden administration focused the program exclusively on helping businesses with 20 or fewer employees.
Harris also held a virtual chat with the operators of a Fort Lupton, Colorado, vaccine clinic.
The second day of the vice president’s tour to publicize the relief plan was disrupted because of a mechanical issue with the government plane that flew Harris to Las Vegas and Los Angeles on Monday. A smaller backup plane was sent to fly her to Denver, relegating most of her staff, Secret Service and a small group of reporters to fly on a cavernous cargo plane.
Because of the plane issue, Harris scratched her plan for her visit to the vaccine clinic, Plan De Salud Del Valle Inc., and instead spoke with the clinic’s staff over Zoom.