Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) leaders were among the invited attendees in Dallas for President Donald Trump’s recent roundtable with faith leaders, law enforcement and small business owners on race relations, policing, reopening the economy and COVID-19.
Several TFB state directors and staff attended the June 11 event at the Gateway Church in North Dallas.
“We have so many different elements of strength in this country. We have such potential in this country. We have the greatest potential. We have the greatest country in the world,” Trump said in his opening remarks.
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams provided an update on the nation’s COVID-19 response.
“Through strong public and private partnerships, America has now done more than 20 million tests. And that number is a big number. It’s not just about the number; it’s also about how many of those tests are coming back positive. We have a positive rate under 6 percent nationally. And from a public health perspective, if we’re under 10 percent positive, we’re doing a good job,” Adams said. “So there’s a lot of challenges out there, but I want you all to know that we are moving in the right direction. The data shows that we are moving in the right direction as a nation.”
Will Douglas, owner of Crimson Care Pharmacy Group in Dallas, addressed the importance of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration for small business owners.
“Because of the PPP loans, I was able to not have to let any of my employees go. And, in fact, I was able to hire additional employees, because our business model had changed overnight. No longer could customers come into our store. They were having to go through the drive-through, which created a whole litany of other issues,” Douglas said.
Recent legislative changes made to PPP offer farmers and ranchers more flexibility. The legislation also extends the deadline to apply for PPP funds to Dec. 31.
TFB Director of Government Affairs Regan Beck said the organization was honored to receive the invitations for several leaders to attend this important discussion.
While at the roundtable discussion, TFB leaders were also able to engage with Congressional leaders in attendance, discussing issues important to rural Texas.