Shaheen to Become Chair of Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) today announced that she will become Chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

“As a former small business owner, I know that small businesses play a critical role in driving our nation’s economy, and I’m honored to take over as Chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship,” said Senator Shaheen. “With more than 33 million small businesses in America, I’m committed to ensuring that our nation’s entrepreneurs have the resources and tools they need to grow and succeed. In my home state of New Hampshire, more than 99 percent of the state’s businesses are small businesses and as chair of this important committee, I will keep working to ensure they can continue competing in the global economy. I look forward to working in a bipartisan manner with Ranking Member Ernst to pursue legislation that helps uplift and support small businesses as they continue to create good jobs in our communities.”

As a long-time and senior member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Senator Shaheen is a fierce advocate for New Hampshire’s—and America’s—small business community. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Shaheen went to bat for small business owners who were among the most severely impacted by the public health crisis. She worked to provide small businesses with the resources they needed to weather and recover from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, leading negotiations on provisions in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which established the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and expanded the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program, both of which were lifelines for businesses throughout New Hampshire and the country. President Biden signed into law a Shaheen-led bill to require the SBA to create a centralized website that houses compliance guides pertaining to federal regulations impacting small businesses. He also signed into law two other Shaheen-led bills that help small businesses with cybersecurity and recover from natural disasters.

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