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Washington, D.C.— Today, House Small Business Committee Chairwoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) issued the following statement after the Labor Department released its November jobs report:

       “Today’s big miss on employment numbers is a flashing warning sign about the state of our economy. Job growth has slowed sharply, and permanent job loss continues to rise. We’ve still yet to regain 9.8 million jobs that we lost since February, and at the current rate of growth, Americans won’t have those back for years. 

       “These numbers are especially concerning as our country hits record levels of cases and hospitalizations and prepares for a potentially brutal winter. American’s will lose vital lifelines as Benefits enacted under the CARES Act expire during the holiday season. Small businesses nationwide wonder how long they can hold out and worry that they won’t make it in 2021 without outside help. It’s clear that without additional aid, we are setting the stage for an economic catastrophe.

       “It doesn’t have to be this way. For months, Senate Republicans have sat on their hands and set the stage for today’s report. By refusing to deliver additional aid, the GOP has put both our economy and people at risk. In May, House Democrats passed the Heroes Act to provide funding to crush this virus and keep small businesses and the American people afloat in the meantime. In September, we passed an updated Heroes Act with these same core provisions, but with a lower price tag to mitigate GOP concerns. Still, Republican leadership has refused to budge. It’s time for Republicans to seriously engage in negotiations and deliver for our country.”

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