IOWA CITY, Iowa – As the federal government prepares to launch a $349 billion loan program meant to help small businesses survive the coronavirus pandemic, critics have growing concerns that some mom-and-pop shops might get squeezed out.
The Paycheck Protection Program — part of the $2 trillion relief package signed into law last week — was billed as a way to help local businesses that often form the fabric of communities retain workers and pay bills.
But an expansive definition of “small business” in the law means that it will be open to much more than just Main Street shops when lenders start processing applications Friday.