More than 3,000 small business owners signed a letter asking for the re-authorization of the Small Business Administration (SBA) Goldman Sach’s 10,000 Small Business Voices group is leading the campaign, which includes public events and paid ads.
The group wants the SBA reauthorized for the first time in more than 20 years to “modernize the agency and ensure it is best-equipped to meet the needs of today’s small business owners.
“Congress helped small businesses get through the COVID-19 pandemic,” said one of the letter signers – Jill Bommarito, Founder and CEO of Ethel’s Baking Company in Shelby Township, Michigan. “This is an issue that touches every community in every state across our country. It is critical that we get the job done.”
The Re-Authorization Letter
Dear Members of Congress,
America’s small business owners deserve a modern Small Business Administration (SBA). Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and employ nearly half of the nation’s workforce, but Congress hasn’t reauthorized the SBA – providing the critical review and creation of resources necessary to modernize – in more than 20 years.
The SBA was on the frontlines of the federal government’s pandemic response, and they helped millions of small businesses remain open and retain workers. But the pandemic also exposed significant gaps, inefficiencies, and areas where SBA reform is needed to more effectively support our nation’s job creators and innovators. The potential is huge – and would benefit communities across the country in the ongoing economic recovery.
We, the 10,000 Small Businesses Voices community, believe small businesses need a federal agency built for today’s economy. An agency that can equip us with the tools and resources to succeed both now and in the future. By reforming and reauthorizing the SBA, Congress can:
- Modernize technical assistance and entrepreneurial development programs to reflect today’s technology
- Ensure that access to capital programs meet the various financing needs of small businesses to continue to grow and attract investment
- Expand federal procurement opportunities for more small businesses to do business with the government
- Build a more responsive customer support center to ensure that questions and inquiries do not go unanswered, and
- Develop a 21st century communications and marketing strategy to bring more awareness to the resources available for small businesses.
Support small businesses. Reauthorize the Small Business Administration.
Sincerely,
The US Chamber Advocated for Reauthorization in 2019
The US Chamber wrote a letter in 2019 when a bi-partisan committee was looking at reauthorization. The effort did not succeed.
