Rep. Ruiz discusses $483 billion small business aid package live on KESQ News Channel 3 in the Morning

36th Congressional District Representative Raul Ruiz was live on News Channel 3 in the Morning Wednesday ahead of a House vote on a $483 billion coronavirus aid package. The deal is backed by the White House and would replenish a small-business payroll fund and pump more money into hospitals and testing programs. President Donald Trump is urging swift passage this week.

Rep. Ruiz detailed how the bill would provide $60 billion dollars for community banks to help small businesses who may have been excluded from the first congressional small business aid recovery package.

Ruiz detailed how $50 billion dollars would help small businesses through the small business administration, and $75 billion would go toward hospitals and clinics. $25 billion dollars would be spent for more widespread coronavirus testing, something tied to reopening the economy more safely.

Ruiz blamed delays in more testing capacity on President Trump for not using the Defense Production Act more aggressively. He also cited bottlenecks with acquiring testing reagents and testing turnaround times for areas needing improvement.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says winter weather could bring a resurgence of the disease, perhaps even worse than this first wave. Ruiz was concerned local protections and closures are being removed which could protect Riverside County residents, despite inadequate testing, tracing, and quarantine procedures.

Ruiz said, "the county has said we haven't reached a plateau, we're still in the upswing, and we don't have those safeguards in place to put down a flare, so it's rather soon to be removing protections that could safeguard residents."

The representative planned to fly to Washington Wednesday in time to participate in Thursday's expected House vote on approving the bill.