SEATTLE — While Congress debates another round of COVID-19 relief, Washington state is writing millions of dollars’ worth of checks to struggling small businesses.
The emergency program, Working Washington Small Business Grants, just unlocked $50 million in assistance.
The grants, which are up to $20,000 each, are to help small businesses and restaurants cover COVID-related expenses.
“In the first 24 hours of that thing being open, over 9,000 people applied for relief at the state level and they've got enough $20,000 grants for maybe a third of that,” said Steve Hooper, a board member of the Seattle Restaurant Alliance.
He said businesses desperately need another round of relief from the federal government.
“For every week that we delay having federal relief, we will lose more small businesses permanently, people will just get tired and throw in the towel,” said Hooper, who is also president of Ethan Stowell Restaurants.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell spoke with each other for the first time in a month Thursday, generating tentative optimism that a medium-sized aid package might break free after months of Washington toxicity and deadlock, the Associated Press reported.
The phone call between the two leaders —who are frequent rivals but proven dealmakers — came the day after the Democratic speaker signaled a willingness to make major concessions in search of a COVID-19 rescue package, the AP reported.