Washington, D.C.— Today, House Small Business Committee Chairwoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) issued the following statement after President Joe Biden released his $1.5 trillion proposal for discretionary spending in fiscal year 2022: “President Biden’s first budget request to Congress is a welcome change following years of senseless proposed cuts to the SBA under the Trump administration. Sparking... Read More »
Washington, D.C.— Today, House Small Business Committee Chairwoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) led nine Committee Democrats in writing to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy regarding the potential negative impacts of his ten-year plan on small businesses. The newly announced plan includes provisions that would slow delivery standards and close post office locations around the country. The changes have s... Read More »
Washington, D.C.— Today, House Small Business Committee Chairwoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) issued the following statement after the Small Business Administration (SBA) announced a series of reforms to the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program: “EIDL has been a vital resource for struggling small businesses since it was opened up to firms hurt by the pandemic over a year ago. The ... Read More »
Thank you all for being here today for the first hearing of the Subcommittee on Contracting and Infrastructure for the 117th Congress. For our opening hearing, I thought it was important to examine an issue that is a priority for government contractors: the interplay between the Federal Acquisition Regulations (the FAR) and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The FAR serves as the primary set o... Read More »
Washington, D.C.— Today, the House Small Business Committee Subcommittee on Contracting and Infrastructure, led by Chairman Kweisi Mfume (D-MD), held a hearing focused on the interplay between the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR). The FAR serves as the primary set of rules governing all executive agencies in their acquisition of goods and services. Un... Read More »
Washington, D.C.— Today, House Small Business Committee Chairwoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) issued the following statement after the Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) program would start accepting applications on April 8th, 2021: “Today’s announcement is excellent news for the independent entertainment venues that have sat empty for the bette... Read More »
I’m proud to serve as Chair of this critical subcommittee. Underserved, agricultural, and rural small businesses have experienced some of the harshest outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic. The road to recovery they face is long, and we must ensure we advance policy that prioritizes them, so they are not left behind. I hope to use this subcommittee’s first hearing during the 117th Congress to examine ... Read More »
Washington, D.C.— Today, House Small Business Committee Chairwoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) issued the following statement after the Senate voted to confirm Isabel Guzman as the next Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA): “As the SBA helps guide small businesses towards recovery, the agency needs experienced leadership with a track record of helping entrepreneurs. That’s why I ... Read More »
Washington, D.C.— Today, the House vote to pass the bipartisan Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Extension Act. The bill was introduced by House Small Business Committee Chairwoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), Ranking Member Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO), Congresswoman Carolyn Bourdeaux (D-GA), and Congresswoman Young Kim (R-CA). The bill includes provisions to extend the PPP application deadline from M... Read More »
One year ago today, during the early stages of the pandemic, this Committee held our first hearing on the impact of COVID on small businesses. Since that hearing, our Committee has been working relentlessly to get them the aid they need to make it through this crisis. One of Congress’s earliest and most effective means of distributing relief to small businesses was through the Paycheck Protection ... Read More »
Washington, D.C.— Today, the House Small Business Committee, led by Chairwoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), held a hearing examining the current state of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the future of the program, which is currently set to expire on March 31st. The hearing also gave small business owners and lenders the opportunity to testify on the impact of a recent set of PPP program ref... Read More »
Washington, D.C.— Today, the House Small Business Committee Chairwoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Congressman Steve Stivers (R-OH) introduced the Inventor Diversity for Economic Advancement Act (“IDEA Act”) of 2021. The bill includes provisions to level the playing field for women and minority inventors, who are underrepresented in the U.S. p... Read More »
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 ... Read More »
Washington, D.C.— Today, House Small Business Committee Chairwoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) issued the following statement after the House passed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which would provide $50B in relief funding to small businesses: “It’s long been clear that small businesses are in dire need of more support. In 2021, economic data and surveys of small firms have consistently shown... Read More »
Washington, D.C.— Today, House Small Business Committee Chairwoman Nydia M. Velázquez released a report detailing the devastating impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on Black-owned businesses in the United States. The report surveyed the current business landscape for black entrepreneurs and proposed policy solutions to spark a more equitable recovery. “Since the beginning of this pandemic, th... Read More »