Small businesses require infrastructure investments to recover from pandemic
Join us in calling on Congress to invest in infrastructure measures that will support small business recovery.
Dear policymaker,
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted and exacerbated the failing infrastructure systems we have in this country. Small businesses, particularly those in rural and low income areas, are stretched to their limit and struggling to access broadband when the world has gone virtual. At the same time, small business owners and their employees are struggling to afford healthcare during a health crisis, and to take care of their young and elderly family members.
Small businesses like ours are essential to the U.S. economy. There are 31.7 million small businesses in this country and we employ nearly half of the workforce, but we are struggling to rebuild in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Investing in outdated infrastructure systems will create a better foundation for small business recovery post-pandemic and will better prepare businesses to weather future crises. Additionally, small businesses and our employees need access to benefits that will help us compete and ensure employees have the resources they need to fully participate in the workforce.
To support small businesses in every corner of America, we need bold action. This includes prioritizing the following measures in the American Jobs Plan and American Families Plan:
- Improving physical infrastructure: Investing in our physical infrastructure supports access to customers and suppliers, enhances business operations and creates demand for the goods and services small businesses must sell.
- Boosting broadband access: The lack of broadband access for tribal and rural small businesses is a significant obstacle to conducting business. Additional investments for increasing rural broadband access would support growth for small businesses that need the Internet for access to markets, customers and operations support.
- Providing access to important benefits and resources: Small businesses and our employees need access to benefits and resources that will help keep us healthy and ensure we have the tools we need to compete for a talented workforce.
- Affordable healthcare: Access to affordable, quality healthcare is one of the biggest barriers for small businesses, self-employed entrepreneurs and small business employees.
- Paid family medical leave: Small businesses often want to provide robust benefits like paid family leave to their employees but can’t afford to do so on their own, putting small businesses on an unequal playing field with larger businesses that have more resources to attract and retain a talented workforce.
- Child care: The lack of access to affordable childcare has become increasingly more difficult and a significant burden to working parents during the pandemic.
- Small business contracting standards: While the federal government has small business contracting standards, they often do not even meet those minimum standards, thereby undercutting the small business ecosystem’s potential. These minimums must be met and exceeded.
I urge you to act now to address these important infrastructure needs to support America’s small businesses. This is the only way to ensure our businesses and our economy can recover from the unprecedented impacts of COVID-19.
Please add my name to the list of small business owners and advocates from across the country that have signed this letter to urge Congress to support Main Street during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
