Vice Presidential Pool Reports of January 22, 2021

VP Pool Report 1

The VP, wearing a face mask, is meeting over Zoom with three small business owners to discuss paycheck protection program and the Biden administration's efforts to help small businesses during the pandemic.

She said she wanted to solicit their feedback as they develop policies for small businesses. It appeared that she had met these business leaders on the campaign trail.

In her opening remarks, she urged those on the call to apply for loans under the newly renewed Paycheck Protection Program, ask others to do the same, and help them "navigate the system."

"Information is key," she said. "So many of our small businesses, they're existing day to day and don't have the resources, let alone the bandwidth, to figure it out."

"No matter how good our policy is, if people don't know about it, they can't take advantage of it."

The VP said she wanted to make sure the latest round of PPP funding was "distributed equitably," and toward that end, helped pass legislation before she left the Senate to provide more funding for community development financial institutions, which primarily serve low-income and minority communities that do not have large banks.

She said she was counting on those institutions to help businesses in those areas get their share of the PPP loans that in the first round went to clients of the big banks.

She also talked about the need to work with members on both sides of the aisle to pass President Biden's new $1.9 trillion stimulus package.

The Zoom call ended for the pool after her remarks.

VP Pool Report 2

From the vice president's office. Note that there were four small business owners on the call. I had counted just three on my screen.

Today, in her first meeting with everyday Americans since inauguration, Vice President Kamala Harris will zoom with small business owners impacted by COVID-19. The Vice President has met these individuals in the past – so this is about checking in on them, seeing how they're faring amidst a difficult period, and discussing Biden-Harris administration policies to extend economic relief and support small businesses that need help.

The meeting will include The Vice President, National Economic Council Director Brian Deese, and four small business owners based in Atlanta, Georgia, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Royal Oak, Michigan, and Tucson, Arizona (bios below)

In addition to hearing directly from these four small business owners, the Vice President and Director Deese will discuss how the Biden-Harris administration has immediately announced policies to support small businesses and people in need. These policies include:

• The American Rescue Plan legislative package, which would provide more than 1 million small businesses with grant funding to reopen and rebuild, and leverage $35 billion in government funds into $175 billion of additional small business lending and investment.
• Strengthening the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) so that we prioritize the hardest hit small businesses that were left behind in 2020 and ensure minority-owned, women-owned, and low-income communities get the relief they need and deserve.
• Several Executive Orders, including extending the existing nationwide moratoriums on evictions and foreclosures as well as the pause on federal student loan payments and collections, and numerous actions announced today around addressing the growing hunger crisis, ensuring equitable and effective delivery of direct payments, helping veterans maintain their financial footing, helping ensure that unemployed Americans no longer have to choose between paying their bills and keeping themselves and their families safe from COVID-19, and enabling effective and equitable distribution of government assistance.

The fact is, small business owners are struggling right now. The unemployment rate is nearly 2x its pre-pandemic level. That's why President Biden and Vice President Harris wasted no time getting to work to support small businesses and extend economic relief to those who need it. And it's why the Vice President is reconnecting with individuals today who are doing all they can to keep their businesses afloat.

BIOS

Nadiyah Johnson, Founder & CEO, Jet Constellations
(Milwaukee, WI)

Nadiyah Johnson's passion for diversity in STEM led her to launch her startup business, Jet Constellations. Jet Constellations is a software company that promotes STEM education in Milwaukee, consults tech-oriented start-ups, and builds a nurturing ecosystem of technologists and entrepreneurs.

Caitlin James, Co-Founder & CEO, Drought Juice
(Royal Oak, MI)

In 2010, after working as Peace Corps volunteer in Jordan, Caitlin - along with her three sisters Julie, Jessie & Jenny - co-founded the Midwest's first raw organic juice company, DROUGHT, which now has 5 brick and mortar locations, a nationally-distributed wholesale line, and USDA organic certification.

Wendy Garcia, Owner and Chef, La Chaiteria by Tumerico (Tucson, AZ)

Wendy Garcia is the owner of La Chaiteria by Tumerico. Garcia grew up on a small farm in Mexico with her family and came to the U.S. when she was 17-years-old. Garcia worked various roles – dishwasher, prep cook, line cook, and head cook - before opening her first restaurant, Tumerico, in Tucson, Arizona, followed by a second location of that same restaurant, and then in early 2020 Garcia opened her third restaurant La Chaiteria, also in Tucson.

Ryan Wilson, Co-Founder & CEO, Gathering Spot
(Atlanta, GA)

Ryan Wilson is cofounder and CEO of the Gathering Spot, a platform that also functions as a think tank, community center, and business incubator. Wilson launched the business after identifying the need for a space for professionals of all backgrounds to have an experience that spoke to their business and social interests.