FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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Conan Knoll
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Small Business Group: Debate was a chaotic spectacle with little substantive discussion of small business needs and issues

Statement by Shaundell Newsome, co-chair of Small Business for America’s Future and Founder & Visionary for Sumnu Marketing, a Certified Minority Business Enterprise

Washington, D.C., Sept. 29, 2020—Small business owners were hoping for, and deserved, a more substantial discussion about the state of Main Street from tonight’s presidential but instead saw President Trump avoid substance and turn the debate into a chaotic spectacle.

We also are shocked the president declined to condemn white supremacy during the debate instead giving a wink and nod to a white supremicist organization. That disregard for people of color has policy ramifications as we saw when the president signed an executive order preventing sensitivity and diversity training for federal contractors, a setback to efforts to increase workplace equality. It’s also evident  in the administration's poor handling of the Paycheck Protection Program, which failed to help underserved entrepreneurs. A poll of Black and Latino business owners from Color of Change and UnidosUS found just 12% of the owners who applied for aid from the Small Business Administration — most seeking a PPP loan — reported receiving what they had asked for and nearly half say they will be permanently out of business by the end of the year. 

 Entrepreneurship is an American institution proudly open to all willing to work hard and sacrifice to build something. Small business owners deserve leaders who believe the same.

We also need elected officials who will pass legislation to provide more aid to small business owners and their employees. Unfortunately, the president distracted from attempts for a substantive discussion of economic needs with interruptions and insults during the debate. Lawmakers in the Senate also have moved on from any attempt to pass additional aid for small business owners to instead rush through a Supreme Court nomination. 

The small business crisis is far from over due to the lack of a national plan from the Trump Administration to control the Covid-19 virus, as former Vice President Biden pointed out while also noting that one in six small businesses have closed. We cannot compound that economic pain by allowing stimulus efforts to fall by the wayside. 

The administration is failing to lead on containing the virus. It has bungled small business relief packages and politicized the wearing of masks, putting millions of small business owners and their employees at risk. This incompetence is jeopardizing our entire small business economy and the health of our small business workforce. We must not continue down this destructive path. We need leaders who believe in and support all small business owners and who are dedicated to helping small business owners survive. The future of our Main Street economies depend on it.

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About Small Business for America’s Future
Small Business for America’s Future (formerly Businesses for Responsible Tax Reform) is a coalition of small business owners and leaders nationwide working to provide small businesses a voice at every level of government. We’re committed to ensuring policymakers prioritize Main Street by advancing a just and equitable economic framework that works for small business owners, their employees and their communities. Visit www.smallbusinessforamericasfuture.org. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook. #SmallBizAF.