Texas Border Business
This week, the United States is celebrating its longstanding history of supporting small businesses and entrepreneurship through National Small Business Week. To mark the occasion, Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) pays tribute to the vital role that small businesses in serving the American economy.
“I stand with small businesses in South Texas and across the county as we take this week to honor and celebrate their contributions to our neighborhoods, cities, and national economy,” said Congressman Cuellar. “This crisis has shown all of us that small businesses are the fabric to our communities and that entrepreneurs are critical to our nation’s recovery. I will continue to fight to protect the health and safety of our communities and the economic well-being of workers and small businesses.”
Small businesses help make up the foundation of the country’s economy, with over half of Americans owning or working for a small business. Small firms create around two out of every three jobs in the United States every year. In all, America’s 28 million small businesses account for 54% of all U.S. sales. As the driving force behind America’s economy, it is crucial that the government take the necessary steps to support small businesses as they recover from this crisis.
In May, Congressman Cuellar voted for the Heroes Act. This package would strengthen the Payroll Protection Program to ensure that it reaches underserved communities, nonprofits of all sizes and types. The Heroes Act would also provide $10 billion for COVID-19 emergency grants through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program.
Congressman Cuellar delivered for Main Street businesses by passing the PPP Flexibility Act. This bipartisan legislation fixed the shortcomings of the PPP Program by allowing businesses to use the funds for more than the eight weeks. The PPP Flexibility Act also eased the requirement that 75 percent of the loan money be used for payroll expenses.
