Washington, D.C.— Today, House Small Business Committee Chairwoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) issued the following statement after the Labor Department released its February jobs report:
“The February jobs report showed signs of momentum, adding 379,000 jobs to the U.S. economy. This report was an improvement after multiple months of sluggish job numbers, but it’s clear that our economy remains in a deep hole. In February, long-term unemployment rose, state and local governments shed jobs, and the economy sported a deficit of 9.5 million jobs since the pandemic began. At this current pace, it will take over four years for our economy to recover fully.
“American small businesses can’t afford to languish for that long. The longer Congress waits to deliver relief to our nation’s entrepreneurs, the more small firms will suffer. Last week, the House took the vital step of passing the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which appropriates $50B for emergency small business relief. This money will fund critical small business programs and give business owners and employees the support they need to make it to the other side of this crisis.
“Now it’s time for the Senate to act expediently to get this bill to the President’s desk. Small businesses don’t have time for partisan games and political stunts designed to delay getting relief into the American people’s hands. Small businesses have made it clear that they need additional relief now. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to act quickly and pass the American Rescue Plan.”
