Video – Congressman McEachin to Trump Ahead of Debate: “Black Virginians are Sick and Tired of Distractions, We Need Answers”

From the Democratic Party of Virginia:

Congressman McEachin to Trump Ahead of Debate: “Black Virginians are Sick and Tired of Distractions, We Need Answers”

RICHMOND – Before the final presidential debate tonight, Congressman Donald McEachin (VA-04) released a video calling out Donald Trump to answer for how his policies have consistently and systemically left Black and Brown Virginians behind.

McEachin called on Donald Trump to give answers about how his policies have affected Black Virginians when it comes to health care, economic relief, and the COVID-19 crisis. McEachin also encouraged voters to go to IWillVote.com/VA to make a plan to vote.

Ahead of tonight’s debate, Rep. @Donald_McEachin is calling on Donald Trump to answer for how his policies have consistently and systemically left Black and Brown Virginians behind. pic.twitter.com/8av0yo71bb

— Virginia Democrats (@vademocrats) October 22, 2020

“I hope tonight at the debate Donald Trump is going to finally talk about issues that matter to Virginians, particularly Black and Brown Virginians who have struggled disproportionately during this pandemic. We are more likely to get sick, more likely to need healthcare, more likely to have lost jobs, more likely to be struggling to pay the rent, put food on the table and stay healthy. We need answers on ensuring affordable quality healthcare, on reviving an economy not just for the stock market and on listening to experts to address this pandemic. We’re sick and tired of the distractions, we need answers. And so I would just remind everyone to go vote. If you have questions, go to IWillVote.com, but vote early, in person or by mail or vote on Election Day. Our futures depend on it.” – Congressman Donald McEachin (VA-04)

Black Businesses Are Paying the Price under Trump’s Response to COVID-19 Economy

For nearly four years, the Trump administration has consistently put wealthy corporations and political allies ahead of Black Americans — and these behaviors continued when it came to helping Black-owned businesses weather the COVID-19 economic downturn. Nationwide 100,000 small businesses have shuttered for good due to Trump’s failed COVID-19 response, and Black businesses have been hit disproportionately hard. Between February and April alone, 41% of Black-owned small businesses were forced to shut their doors. 

Thanks to President Trump’s botched rollout of the PPP Program, Black-owned businesses struggled to gain access to funds in the PPP program; many were further disadvantaged because of their lack of existing relationships with financial institutions. A May report found that lenders are less likely to support Black businesses, many of which tend to be smaller operations that are unlikely to be seen as worth lending to. According to a report by the Small Business Administration Inspector General, this was exacerbated by the Trump administration, which failed to make PPP lenders prioritize ‘underserved’ markets, in violation of explicit directives included in the CARES Act.

The Trump administration’s failure will have far-reaching consequences for working families across the Commonwealth. According to the SBA Office of Advocacy, over 250,000 Virginia workers are employed by minority-owned small businesses. It is in large part due to the closure of these businesses that Virginia’s unemployment rate has doubled year-on-year, according to new data published on Tuesday.

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