City of Milwaukee - File #: 200348

• File #: 200348
• Version: 0
• Type: Resolution-Immediate Adoption
• Status: Passed
• File created: 7/7/2020
• In control: COMMON COUNCIL
• Final action: 7/28/2020
• Title: Substitute resolution urging the federal government to disclose the identities of the recipients of the taxpayer-funded coronavirus business loans.
• Sponsors: ALD. RAINEY, ALD. KOVAC, ALD. LEWIS, ALD. JOHNSON
• Indexes: BUSINESS ENTERPRISES, FEDERAL LEGISLATION

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result	Tally
8/3/2020	0	MAYOR	SIGNED
7/28/2020	0	COMMON COUNCIL	ADOPTED; Minutes note: Ald. Lewis and Johnson asked to be added as Co-sponsor. There were no objections.	Pass	15:0
7/7/2020	0	COMMON COUNCIL	HELD IN COUNCIL; Minutes note: Ald. Kovac added as a co-sponsor.	Pass	15:0

IMMEDIATE ADOPTION

Number
200348

Version
ORIGINAL

Reference
180898

Sponsor
ALD. RAINEY, KOVAC, LEWIS AND JOHNSON

Title
Substitute resolution urging the federal government to disclose the identities of the recipients of the taxpayer-funded coronavirus business loans.

Analysis
This resolution urges the federal government to disclose the identities of the recipients of the taxpayer-funded coronavirus business loans.

Body
Whereas, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has refused to disclose recipients of the taxpayer-funded $600-billion-plus coronavirus business loans; and

Whereas, Many lawmakers and members of the public view the claim that the information is confidential as an attempt to dodge accountability for how the money is spent; and

Whereas, Businesses struggled to obtain loans in the early weeks of the program; and

Whereas, Several hundred publicly-traded companies received loans despite their likely ability to get the money from private financial sources; and

Whereas, Due to public scrutiny, some big corporations have stated they would return their loans; and

Whereas, The loans may be forgiven if businesses use the only to keep employees on payroll or rehire workers who have been laid off; and

Whereas, It is imperative for taxpayers to know whether the money is going where Congress intended to small businesses; and

Whereas, The administration’s resistance to transparency raises suspicions regarding how the funds are being distributed and who are benefitting from them; and

Whereas, Nearly a dozen news organizations sued the U.S. Small Business Administration in federal court for not having released the loan data despite several requests under the Freedom of Information Act; and

Whereas, Taxpayers have a right to information regarding the way their money is spent; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, By the Common Council of the City of Milwaukee, that the federal government is urged to disclose the identities of the recipients of...