Democrats are demanding at least $500 billion in additional emergency coronavirus relief spending to aid hospitals, state governments and shore up food stamps

• Top congressional Democrats are calling for $500 billion in emergency coronavirus relief spending to aid hospitals, state governments, and the food stamp program.
• It comes after the Trump administration sought another $250 billion in additional funding for an initiative benefiting small business owners.
• Democrats suggested they might tie additional conditions on federal aid to small businesses so it benefits underserved communities.
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Democrats are calling for at least $500 billion in new emergency spending to ramp up federal aid to hospitals and state governments and to shore up food stamps.

The demand came shortly after the Trump administration sought another $250 billion in additional relief for small businesses. The recent $2 trillion stimulus law already included around $350 billion in aid under the Paycheck Protection Program.

But the request acknowledges that funding could run out much sooner than expected as small businesses scramble to file applications and obtain federal aid. Since the program's rollout on Friday, nearly $70 billion in loans has gone out.

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Under the program, businesses that use the money to keep workers on payrolls and not lay them off will have the loans forgiven. Small business owners, though, have criticized the initiative for the difficulty in applying for the money, The New York Times reported.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said the current crisis would likely require another round of immediate legislative action.

"The heartbreaking acceleration of the coronavirus crisis demands bold, urgent and ongoing action from Congress to protect Americans' lives and livelihoods," the top congressional Democrats said in a statement.

Their proposal includes:

• $250 billion in additional aid to small businesses, with at least half the money directed to community-based financial institutions that aid families, as well as minority and veteran-owned businesses.
• $100 billion for hospitals and community health centers battling the outbreak.
• $150 billion for state and local governments to bolster their safety nets and make up for lost tax revenues.
• A 15% increase in the maximum SNAP benefit for families to help them purchase more food.

Stay-at-home orders across the US have financially hit small businesses hard, given that they account for around half of all employment in the country, Bloomberg reported. Restaurants, bars, and retailers have closed their doors to keep the coronavirus from spreading.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement that he hoped to quickly approve the Trump administration's request for more small business money later this week.

Yet the timeline for new legislation is still not clear. In a CNN interview, Pelosi suggested Democrats might seek to add more conditions to ensure any further aid to small businesses is used to also benefit underserved communities.

"We want to make sure the program is administered in a way that does not solidify inequality in how people have access to capital, but instead, benefit to everyone who qualifies," she said.

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