SHAHEEN: SMALL BUSINESSES CRUCIAL TO JOB CREATION, ECONOMIC RECOVERY
In Claremont, Shaheen discusses job training, health care reform, and access to credit
(Washington, D.C.) - U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen today met with employees at Costa Precision Manufacturing in Claremont to discuss the challenges small businesses face in this difficult economy and what needs to be done to help them create jobs and remain competitive. Shaheen, a member of the Senate Small Business Committee, discussed her work to create jobs, increase lending to small businesses, invest in workforce training, and control health care costs, among other initiatives.
"Small businesses like Costa Precision Manufacturing are the backbone of New Hampshire's economy," said Shaheen. "The majority of new jobs in our state and nation will be created by small businesses, and we must to make sure they have the resources they need to grow and remain competitive in the challenging global economy. I will continue working to best represent businesses like Costa so that they are able to access credit and find affordable health care options for their employees."
"Health care and taxes are having a significant impact on small companies like Costa, and any help that allows us to be more competitive in this global economy as businesses fight to cut costs is critical," said John Mack, Chief Operating Officer of Costa Precision Manufacturing. "We appreciated the opportunity to have Senator Shaheen visit with us and are thankful for her efforts to help small businesses like ours to grow and develop in this difficult economy."
In her first year in the U.S. Senate, Shaheen has focused heavily on small business issues. She persuaded the Small Business Administration to make loan guarantees available to 70,000 additional businesses; voted to allow small businesses to use fiscal year 2008 losses to offset profits made during the previous five years, enabling businesses hit the hardest to obtain substantial tax refunds; cosponsored legislation passed by the Senate to reauthorize and strengthen the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer programs; and cosponsored several pieces of legislation that would increase the availability of credit and help small business tap into overseas markets. Shaheen has also established a Small Business Advisory Council, which is made up of small business owners from across New Hampshire.
