Washington, D.C., Nov. 15, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SBR Leaders issued the following statements in response to the U.S. Senate’s passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act:
Rhett Buttle & John Stanford, Co-Executive Directors of Small Business Roundtable (SBR)
"We applaud Congress and the President in seeing this infrastructure package over the finish line. While ‘infrastructure week’ became a punchline in Washington, these investments in roads, bridges and technology is not a joke to American small businesses. The bipartisan compromise on this legislation shows that good policy can still be the product of advocacy and we hope more efforts like this can break the unending gridlock plaguing Washington. There are big victories for small businesses that will see more contracts and technical assistance to America’s job creators. We hope these benefits can be expanded – and in some cases funded – through the Build Back Better Act.”
SBR Members:
Candace Waterman, President & CEO, Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP)
“We applaud the Administration and Congress for their bipartisan efforts to reach an agreement on a comprehensive infrastructure plan. This bipartisan effort will deliver progress and spur economic growth for the American and women business owners, and it is our hope that Congress and the Administration will continue to work together on other measures important to women business owners, including government contracting and access to capital. This infrastructure plan will bring American roads, bridges, ports and airports to the 21st century and is a huge victory for women owned businesses and their workers.”
Chiling Tong, President & CEO of the National Asian Pacific Islander Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurship (National ACE)
“The codification of the MBDA is a huge victory for all minority owned small businesses,” National ACE President and CEO Chiling Tong said, “The MBDA provides resources to increase capacity and unify minority-owned small businesses to develop and thrive. We commend the Biden-Harris Administration for its continued commitment to minority-owned small business.”
Eddie Monroy, Executive Director of the NextGen Chamber of Commerce
“This historic investment in our infrastructure will be transformational for our communities by providing jobs, clean water, green solutions, and modern digital access.
Most importantly the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework impacts the next generation by growing the economy & positioning our nation to be the economic leaders of the 21st century.”
Jen Earle, CEO of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO)
“The National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) is proud of our lawmakers for moving bipartisan legislation across the finish line for women business owners across America. Our nation will flourish when we put party politics aside. NAWBO has been tirelessly advocating for affordable, reliable broadband across America, and we are pleased to see the light at the end of the tunnel. We hope this is the start of increased collaboration between parties to build a sustainable business economy,” said NAWBO Board Chair Cristina Morales-Heaney.”
Karen Kerrigan, President & CEO, Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBE Council)
"We congratulate members of Congress on both sides of the aisle and President Biden for their work in advancing this critical infrastructure package. Our nation's small businesses will greatly benefit from improved infrastructure – in terms of increased productivity, cost savings and opportunities to grow. Given our organization's focus on broadband access and deployment, especially for those communities that lack connectivity, we are pleased that more entrepreneurs and small businesses will be given the opportunity to access the digital economy through this package. Access to quality broadband is essential to inclusive entrepreneurship and economic opportunity. Moreover, we look forward to small business participation in broad range of infrastructure projects – from the building and construction industries to telecommunications, rail, cybersecurity, technology and more. Small business America will be needed to successfully build out and modernize, and we look forward to engaging further with Congress and the Administration to ensure inclusive access and participation in that process."
Keith Hall, President and CEO of the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE)
“After months of hard work, the House has passed the bipartisan infrastructure deal reached between Congress and the Administration. We applaud their bipartisan cooperation and investment in our nation’s roads, bridges, and highways – critical funding for improvements and shovel-ready projects needed in every corner of this nation. The real winners of this legislation will be the American people and millions of small businesses across the country who rely on a transportation and infrastructure system to move their American-made goods and workforce,” said Keith Hall, president and CEO of the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE).
“It is our hope that the Administration and Congress continue to work together in a bipartisan way on a variety of issues, including those important to the small business community. We look forward to working with all our policy makers on each side of the aisle to strengthen the American small business community,” concluded Hall.
Ramiro A. Cavazos, President and CEO, United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC)
“The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce applauds this historic investment that will mean more business for Hispanic entrepreneurs to provide more efficiency and competitiveness as we make huge investments in rebuilding our nation’s highways, bridges, and energy grid. This bill also increases broadband access to low-income and rural areas. The USHCC is proud to champion the procurement opportunities that this bill opens up for millions of Hispanic business owners, many who are eager to access capital at the same rate as their peers. We will continue to partner with Hispanic businesses to ensure all owners are aware of the economic opportunities that the recent Infrastructure deal creates,” Ramiro A. Cavazos, President and CEO, United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Ron Busby, President & CEO of the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. (USBC)
“The passage of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act represents a renewed and unprecedented commitment to the Black community writ large. This legislation will amplify opportunities for those in our community who need it most through increased and reliable broadband access and expanded opportunities for Black entrepreneurs to grow and scale their business through the newly codified Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA). We at the U.S. Black Chambers welcome this investment in America’s Black communities, and we look forward to the ways in which Congress will serve the American people by investing in human capital and infrastructure for FY22.”
Todd McCracken, President and CEO of National Small Business Association (NSBA)
“This bill will help small businesses compete digitally, expand their markets and attract a greater range of potential workers,” stated NSBA President and CEO Todd McCracken. “Broad improvements to our national infrastructure are long overdue and stand to greatly help small businesses as we emerge from the pandemic and look toward growth and long-term success.”
SBR Affiliates
Connie Evans, President and CEO, Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO)
“AEO commends Congress for passing the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which includes funding for the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program, ensuring microbusinesses an opportunity to contribute to the renewal of American infrastructure. Additionally, AEO is thrilled to see the codification of the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA). The MBDA is critical in helping minority-owned microbusinesses scale and grow through accessing capital and gaining technical assistance, and AEO has remained an advocate for its formalization. We look forward to seeing microbusinesses benefit from the expanded impact of the MBDA for years to come.”
Ricky Smith, Board Chair, Airport Minority Advisory Council (AMAC)
“This historic and highly-anticipated investment into our nation’s infrastructure, particularly airports, marks a monumental opportunity to fuel AMAC’s mission of advancing the full participation of minorities and women in employment and contracting opportunities throughout the aviation and aerospace industries,” said AMAC President & CEO, Eboni Wimbush, “AMAC is diligently working on behalf of our diverse membership through our advocacy efforts, critical programming and vast networking opportunities, to position our members to receive equity throughout this transformation of America’s infrastructure that is to come from this generational investment.”
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The Small Business Roundtable (http://www.smallbusinessroundtable.org/) is a coalition of leading small business and entrepreneurship organizations, dedicated to advancing policy, securing access, and promoting inclusion to benefit the businesses at the heart of the American economy.
