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Today is a chance for the Committee to hear directly from our fellow Members of Congress about their priorities for supporting programs and policies that promote small business creation and growth.

Last year was a pivotal moment across our country and we all experienced – and still are because the pandemic is not over – something unprecedented. Our nation’s entrepreneurs closed more doors in 2020 than any other year on record.

But, Congress was able to save many due to bipartisan work by this Committee  to provide over 1 trillion dollars in relief.

It’s easy to focus on the problems and frustrations we’ve all experienced, but I want to remind everyone today about all the good we’ve accomplished for Main Street, non-profits, and families.

That one trillion dollar funding was more aid in one year for struggling entrepreneurs than any other year on record and the SBA rose to the occasion in distributing it.

Every Member in Congress has a small business in their district that has been impacted by our work – both Covid and non-Covid related.

And I know that when we travel back to our districts, we are eager to hear from our local small business owners to understand what policies are working for them and what we can improve on.

For the Members testifying here today, I know that you’ve been gathering feedback from Main Street businesses in your districts, and I’m eager to hear more throughout this hearing.  

Besides our work on relief programs, this Committee’s mission is to open the lucrative federal marketplace to entrepreneurs, strengthen capital markets for all small employers, and give small firms the tools they need to take care of their employees and build their companies.

We do so while working together. Our Committee has a long history of bipartisanship because we all agree that small businesses truly are the backbone of our economy at the end of the day. They are what unify us in our work and hold our communities together. We saw that firsthand last year.

Today, we have the chance to engage in an open dialogue on how we can collaborate to support small firms.

Thank you again to all the Members for being with us today. I look forward to our discussion and to working with you to foster an environment that promotes entrepreneurship and job creation in communities across this country.