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WASHINGTON – Today, the House Small Business Committee convened for a hearing titled “Main Street Under Attack: The Cost of Crime on Small Businesses,” examining how cyberattacks, retail theft, and gun violence are affecting small firms and their workers, as well as federal policies that can help protect Main Street.

During the hearing, Ranking Member Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) highlighted how small businesses often lack the resources and expertise to respond to cybercrime, theft, and violence, even as they increasingly rely on digital tools and operate in communities grappling with public safety challenges. She also underscored Democrats’ work to expand federal investments in cybersecurity assistance, state and local law enforcement, and community violence intervention, and contrasted those efforts with recent Trump administration cuts to key grant programs and cybersecurity initiatives.

“Unlike large corporations, small businesses often lack the resources, expertise, and experience to address and recover from a crime,” said Ranking Member Velázquez. “The federal government can act to improve our public safety, by protecting and expanding upon the investments we know work. The Administration must refocus their attention – on what will meaningfully improve safety for small businesses instead of exploiting the problem of crime for political gain.

Under President Trump, cuts to proven public safety programs have made Americans less safe. His administration eliminated a third of the workforce at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and allowed key cybersecurity authorities and grants to lapse, leaving communities more vulnerable to cyber threats.

At the Department of Justice, President Trump revoked $500 million in grants supporting violent crime prevention, policing, victim services, and juvenile justice, and rolled back rules that restricted dangerous firearm attachments. Although the Trump DOJ claims to prioritize public safety, its actions weakened the very programs that help law enforcement keep communities secure.

The Committee also heard testimony from Greg Jackson, a DC resident, survivor of gun violence, owner of Safer Futures LLC, and former Deputy Director of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Jackson described the human and economic toll of gun violence, the progress communities have made through bipartisan prevention strategies, and the ways the Trump administration has undermined that progress.

“As our communities have been fighting our way out of this crisis, we find ourselves at a dangerous crossroad,” said Jackson. “Instead of federal resources to strengthen what works, the Trump administration has dismantled or defunded BIPARTISAN strategies passed into law that reduce violence.”

Velázquez closed by reiterating that Main Street entrepreneurs cannot thrive without meaningful federal support for both public safety and cybersecurity. She stressed the importance of continuing investments that prevent crime before it occurs and help small businesses stay strong and competitive.

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