Paris Dennard: Conservatives Are Concerned about Federal Government Bailouts — I Get It, But We Must Help

When we look at the impact of COVID-19, we have to remember the often forgotten men and women of America that President Trump has championed since coming into office. He spoke to and about them throughout the campaign and on inauguration day. Our president is doing all he can to lead Americans through this trying time, but the president is not the one who controls the budget and authorizes and appropriates taxpayer funds. It is our members of Congress on the federal level. If they follow his lead to put America first and think about the American family, single mother, college student, and senior citizen in this time of crisis, we can pull through.

I grew up in a single-parent home, and my wonderful mother had the support of my grandparents to fill in the gaps. There are many parents today who might be hourly workers or don’t have jobs that allow them to be paid to work from home. Imagine if that is your situation, and you’re a single parent. You have a great job, finally feeling good about the economy under President Trump, your community, and your ability to save and provide for your family, when your children are now forced to stay home for school because of COVID-19. You might not have family or friends and certainly cannot afford childcare. What are you to do?

There are many conservatives rightfully concerned about federal government bailouts. I get it. Under normal circumstances, I, too, would question when members of Congress advocate for massive corporate bailouts. I am a Republican and a compassionate conservative who believes in limited government, personal responsibility, and supporting those in need on a temporary basis. Now is the time to help our fellow Americans who find themselves unexpectedly in need.

This situation is beyond the control of the American citizen. The government was right to step in to help mitigate both the health and economic challenges. Black-owned small businesses were given a lifeline in the form of the Paycheck Protection Program. This 100 percent forgivable loan program allows small businesses, sole proprietors, LLCs, independent contractors, faith-based organizations, churches, and non-profits to receive immediate assistance for eight weeks, as long as the funds are used to pay salaries, utilities, and rent in response to COVIS-19. It is essentially a grant and worth the time to apply for today at sba.gov/ppp.

In order to Keep America Great, we all need to support our president. He is taking decisive action early on to ensure the health and safety of all Americans. Right now, our legislators should continue to follow his lead by passing targeted legislative action for the president to sign that helps working families, single mothers, and our American businesses weather the storm. Meaningful, but temporary, relief through the duration of this crisis will create a sense of calm and ease extra burdens that will pay off in the long run for the country.

President Trump is right. Americans need relief, and in this unprecedented moment the government has to be there to give this temporary relief to those who need it the most right now. The Black community will not be forgotten, because when we will pull through this, we will beat this virus. Our country, our people, our families, our businesses, our health systems, and governments will be better when we come out on top.

Paris Dennard is a GOP political commentator, strategist, and Senior Communications Advisor for Black Media Affairs at the Republican National Committee. Follow him on Twitter at @PARISDENNARD.

The views expressed in opinion articles are solely those of the author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by Black Community News.