Our small businesses are the backbone of our economy. I know this from my experience as a former business leader and entrepreneur in Pennsylvania and now, as a member of the House Small Business Committee. Our community is at its strongest when our smallest businesses and working families have the resources they need to grow and thrive. I also know the value of diversity in entrepreneurship. But I am all too familiar with the challenges female entrepreneurs face competing in our 21st-century economy. That's why I introduced the Women-Owned Small Business Program Transparency Act, which passed the House with strong bipartisan support. This bill would increase transparency and accountability to help level the playing field in contracting opportunities available to female business owners. Along with that bill, I co-led the Small Business Workforce Pipeline Act and have supported the passage of a series of other bipartisan bills to strengthen and diversify our workforce. The COVID-19 pandemic affected us all but small businesses have been hit the hardest. I was an early supporter of the Paycheck Protection Program, Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program, Shuttered Venue Operators Grant Program, and other pandemic legislation to help our small business owners keep their employees on payroll. As we work to overcome this pandemic, I have continued to support additional targeted relief for our hardest-hit industries. After hosting dozens of meetings with small business owners and our area Chambers of Commerce, I led the bipartisan effort to make sure that the smallest of small businesses were able to have those loans forgiven. I continue to meet with community leaders to hear the challenges they face so I can work in Washington to make sure they have the support they need. I welcomed President Biden to visit a small business here in southeastern PA, where we discussed how foundational and crucial our small businesses are to our Commonwealth’s and country’s economy. In the wake of Hurricane Ida, I heard from many small business owners who could not afford to take out a natural-disaster loan considering the burden of having yet another expense or bill to pay. FEMA estimates 40 to 60 percent of small businesses never reopen their doors after a disaster. After hearing from my community, I took action to improve the Small Business Administration’s disaster relief loan programs by 1) holding the SBA accountable for its post-Ida disaster loan approval processes and 2) pressing top SBA officials on the need for a Disaster Relief Protection Program to bolster financial support to small firms following natural disasters. I understand that when we invest in our small businesses, it pays off for our community many times over. I have been proud to introduce legislation like the RAMP for Innovators Act and the Micro-SBIC and Emerging Managers Program Act. I remain committed to advancing my legislation and other bills to ensure underserved populations, entrepreneurs, and small business owners have access to the support and capital they need to retain and expand their business in the pandemic and beyond. Uplifting our small businesses remains one of my top priorities in Congress. Please know that I will continue to work with my colleagues on the House Small Business Committee, both Democrats and Republicans, to ensure that Congress advances legislation to provide for our working families and small businesses. |
Small Business & Entrepreneurship
