Why we need oversight . . . Its
only $600 Billion
The Trump administration has abruptly dropped its insistence on secrecy for a $600 billion-plus coronavirus aid program for small businesses.
The administration announced Friday it will publicly disclose the names of recipients of the taxpayer-funded loans, the amounts they received in ranges, as well as demographic data on the businesses.
The unexpected move came after
Democratic lawmakers, government watchdogs, ethics advocates and news organizations called for the administration to make the information public.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin
refused to do so at a Senate hearing last week, saying the data on the Paycheck Protection Program was “
proprietary information.” The Small Business Administration, which manages the loan program, has only provided general information, such as the total amounts of loans awarded in a given time period.