Oregon’s Reps. Greg Walden, Earl Blumenauer, Suzanne Bonamici, Peter DeFazio, and Kurt Schrader and Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, announced that, following their letter to the Small Business Administration (SBA) supporting the governor’s request, Oregon has been declared an economic disaster, giving small businesses access to emergency resources.
The Small Business Administration Economic Injury Disaster Loan provides critical resources to small businesses that are facing closures and layoffs in the effort to contain the spread of coronavirus.
“Small Businesses provide countless jobs across our state and play a critical role in the economy and community,” Walden said. “During these challenging times, we must do all we can to support our small business.”
I encourage small business owners throughout the state to apply for these loans,” said Merkley.
“I am gratified that small businesses in our state and the Oregonians who work in them can start to get emergency help recovering from the ongoing economic devastation rippling out from the coronavirus public health crisis,” Wyden said.
Already, the state of Washington and parts of California and Nevada have been declared economic disasters. As a result, both counties in those states and Oregon counties adjacent to the declaration areas have access to low-interest federal disaster loans from the SBA. Gilliam, Hood River, Morrow, Sherman, Umatilla and Wasco counties were already eligible to apply because of Washington’s declaration; Curry, Jackson, Josephine, Klamath and Lake counties were eligible because of California’s; and Harney County was eligible because of Nevada’s.
With a statewide declaration for Oregon, the delegation encourages affected small businesses in all counties across the state to apply for the SBA loans.
