As a leading representative of America’s 30 million small businesses, we offer the following recommendations on what small businesses are hoping to hear in President Biden's remarks when he addresses Congress on Wednesday, April 28.
Across the country, more Americans are being vaccinated every day and many are ready and eager to “get back to normal.” At the same time, consumer demand is still down as parts of the country grapple with a new wave of COVID-19 cases and continued public health orders, and nearly 10 million Americans remain out of work.
Today, Founder and CEO John Arensmeyer submitted a letter of support for the bipartisan PPP Flexibility for Farmers, Ranchers, and the Self-Employed Act introduced by Senators Cardin, Lankford, Collins, King, Baldwin, Portman, and Marshall. We urge Congress to immediately pass this measure, which would allow small businesses to apply for increased PPP benefits retroactively in order to take advantage of new PPP loan calculations for the self-employed.
Today, CEO John Arensmeyer submitted a letter of support for the nomination of Dilawar Syed as Deputy Administrator to the Small Business Administration (SBA) to the leaders of the Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship.
As we approached the one-year mark of the initial public health shutdowns in the U.S. that sent shockwaves through our economy, Small Business Majority reviewed a year’s worth of surveys conducted of our network of 85,000 small businesses, as well as other national polling we commissioned and additional research and qualitative feedback from our network, in order to better understand the state of small businesses.
Today, Small Business Majority, Main Street Alliance, and 114 state, local, and federal business organizations sent a letter to Congress urging them to pass a substantive grants program to support small businesses. While federal relief programs provided a crucial lifeline for many businesses, small businesses need unrestricted funding because only they can determine how to best utilize funding to keep their businesses open.
Today, Small Business Majority submitted a letter to the U.S. House Committee on Small Business urging for members to immediately pass the PPP Extension Act of 2021, which would extend the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) application period to May 31, 2021 and allow the U.S. Small Business Administration to process loans until June 30, 2021. Congress must pass the PPP Extension Act of 2021 immediately so that small businesses can acquire adequate funding to keep their doors open during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Historically, small businesses have struggled to access health coverage due to the cost, representing a disproportionate number of the working uninsured prior to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). And when they have been able to afford it, small businesses often paid more than their larger counterparts. These barriers are now being exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, as small businesses are forced to lay off or furlough employees and make cuts to benefits in order to survive the ongoing economic crisis. A recent national survey of small business owners sheds light on these ongoing issues facing small businesses, as well as their views on policy solutions that could help them access and afford coverage into the future.
Today, Small Business Majority submitted a letter to the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions urging for members to swiftly confirm Julie Su as President Biden's nominee for Deputy Secretary of Labor. Ms. Su is the current Secretary for the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency and has a distinguished career. Small Business Majority has worked closely with Secretary Su to support workforce issues in California, including the Future of Work Commission and the Employer Training Panel, which she oversaw.
Today, Small Business Majority submitted a letter calling on the Small Business Administration (SBA) to reopen the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for all self-employed individuals and sole proprietors who previously received PPP loan funds based on their net profits. PPP loans were originally calculated using net profits, which resulted in very low amounts after accounting for business deductions.
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