Grand Canyon Times

The Latino community is not alone in its fight against the deadly coronavirus pandemic — the White House is working hard to ensure that Hispanic workers and entrepreneurs get all the support they need to make it through this crisis.

As President Trump has emphasized, defeating COVID-19 requires more than just slowing the spread of the virus. The federal government must also protect the small businesses that power our great economy — as well as the workers they employ — to ensure that our country regains its stride quickly once the public health crisis is over. 

The American Dream Plan, which the President announced during his recent rally in Goodyear, promises significant investments in Hispanic-owned businesses designed to increase access to capital, remove impediments such as fees and occupational licensing, and improve access to technological infrastructure such as broad, especially in rural and remote areas.

"Over the next four years, the American Dream Plan will bring more than 2 million new jobs to Hispanic communities, create over a half a million new Hispanic-owned small businesses — which will end up being large businesses if I know you, and I know you well," President Trump said while announcing the plan.

Latinos played a crucial role in America’s economic boom over the past three years — under President Trump’s leadership, the Latino unemployment rate dropped to a record low, Hispanic household income rose to a record high, and Latino-owned businesses grew faster than any other private sector demographic. Here in Arizona, the Hispanic community’s growing buying power has been a significant driver of economic growth in recent years. 

Many Latino workers and entrepreneurs are justifiably concerned about both the short- and long-term consequences of the economic shutdown necessitated by the pandemic, but with Donald Trump in the White House, our future is in good hands.

The President’s fiscal response to the COVID-19 outbreak guarantees immediate financial security for anyone negatively affected by the pandemic and shores up the country’s economic foundations to allow for a rapid return to normal once the virus is defeated. 

The historic $2.2 trillion economic relief legislation known as the CARES Act provides direct payments to individuals of $1,200 per adult and $500 per child — a total of $3,400 for a typical family of four. The legislation also allocated hundreds of billions of dollars in federally-backed low-interest loans for companies of all sizes — a measure that will prevent Arizona’s Latino entrepreneurs from losing all the gains they made in the three years prior to the pandemic. 

The Paycheck Protection Program — which disbursed over $500 billion worth of forgivable loans, including almost $9 billion in Arizona — is designed not just to keep businesses afloat, but to provide them with the means to keep their current employees on staff. As long as recipients put workers back on payroll or don’t lay off any workers and use the money to pay for routine operating expenses, the low-interest loans automatically turn into grants that never have to be repaid. 

The President has repeatedly urged Congress to send out another round of relief checks and extend authorization for the PPP, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has unfortunately chosen to politicize the issue, insisting on an outrageously expensive omnibus package that includes a number of “poison pill” provisions that she knows her Republican colleagues could never accept. 

Once the election is over and tensions subside, it’s likely that we’ll get a relief package of some kind. The only question is whether it will be a targeted relief bill focused on proven policies, or an expansive, expensive package filled with partisan priorities that have little if anything to do with helping Americans make it through the final stages of the coronavirus crisis. Donald Trump has the force of personality and negotiating skill to get reluctant members of his party to line up behind a compromise. The same can’t be said about Joe Biden.

Hispanic workers and entrepreneurs across the country have always been able to count on President Trump’s support. Now, he’s the one who needs our support. 

– Tatiana Peña is a first generation born American from Central American immigrant parents. She was raised within the strong Latino community of South Phoenix in Arizona. Tatiana Peña is running for State Representative in her community she grew up in and is a strong advocate to help Latinos attain more opportunities and success.