Vice Presidential Pool Reports of January 30, 2023

VP press pool #1/arrival

11:45 Vice President Kamala Harris touched down at Raleigh-Durham International airport.

Newly elected U.S. Reps. Valerie Foushee and Wiley Nickel were among the VP's greeters. Others included U.S. Rep. Deborah Ross; Lt. Col. Brittany Carter, commander of the Air Force's 89 Communications Squadron; and Isabella Casillas Guzman, administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration.

VP press pool #2/en route

12:05 The vice president's caravan departed RDU international airport.

VP press pool #3/Raleigh venue

12:35 Harris arrived at the A.J. Fletcher Opera Theater in downtown Raleigh where she will participate in a moderated panel discussion.

VP pool press #4/venue details

12:45 The A.J. Fletcher Opera Theater in downtown Raleigh is part of the larger Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts. The opera theater seats 600 at full capacity and is home to the Carolina Ballet.

VP press pool #5/intro

12:55 Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin introduced the event, where Harris and others will discuss the Biden-Harris administration's efforts to assist small businesses.

VP pool press #6/Rep. Ross

12:59 Democratic Rep. Deborah Ross spoke next. The wake county congresswoman emphasized her interest in helping small businesses survive despite lingering challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic.

"In the face of the greatest economic challenges our economy had in decades, small business leaders persevered," Ross said. "Small businesses are the engine of economic growth."

VP pool report #7/background

Harris will participate in a panel discussion with Isabella Casillas Guzman, administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration and Vicky Garcia, senior vice president of the Latino community credit union. Moderating will be Jorge Buzo, Local Univision Affiliates' news and community coordinator and a former Telemundo anchor in Atlanta.

VP press pool #8/Nickel and Cooper

New U.S. Rep. Wiley Nickel took the stage after Ross, also emphasizing the contributions small businesses make to the nation's economy.

He was followed by North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, who said Harris and other panelists will highlight the role Hispanic-owned businesses play in shoring up local communities and the country's post-COVID economy.

"We're here to celebrate them," Cooper said of all minority- and women-owned businesses. "And that's why I've been so excited about joining together with the Biden-Harris administration to see them grow."

Still, several challenges stand in the way.

"We still face cynicism, hated, racism," Cooper said. "But I believe, in the end, fairness and justice will prevail. I believe in the power of people's goodness."

VP press pool #9/more background

The following background information is attributable to a White House official.

Following a Census report showing historic small business creation for the second consecutive year, Vice President Harris is in Raleigh, North Carolina to uplift the Biden-Harris Administration's work to support small businesses and community banks and credit unions, in particular among the Hispanic community.

At 1:00 PM ET, Vice President Harris will participate in a conversation with SBA Administrator Guzman and Senior Vice President of the Raleigh-based Latino Community Credit Union, Vicky Garcia. The Vice President will highlight opportunities available to community banks and small businesses as the Administrations implements the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act and CHIPS and Science Act. The conversation will be moderated by local Univision anchor Jorge Buzo and livestreamed at Whitehouse.gov/live.

The following leaders will also deliver remarks:

• Governor Roy Cooper
• Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin
• Representative Wiley Nickel (D-NC-13)
• Representative Valerie Foushee (D-NC-4)
• Representative Deborah Ross (D-NC-2)
• Marla Bilonick, President & CEO, National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders (NALCAB), VPs introducer

From her time in the Senate to her time in the Administration, Vice President Harris has led efforts support small businesses, including by increasing their access to capital.

• Last year, the Vice President and Secretary Yellen launched the Economic Opportunity Coalition, a public-private partnership, with involvement from companies like Goldman Sachs, Google, and Netflix, that invests tens of billions of dollars in CDFIs, small businesses and underserved communities.
• The Vice President and Secretary Yellen have worked closely to implement a $12 billion dollar investment in CDFIs—funding the Vice President secured as Senator in the December 2020 appropriation bill.

VP press pool #9/introduction

13:25 Marla Bilonick, president and CEO of the National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders (NALCAB), introduced the vice president and other participants.

"Small businesses are the engine of the U.S. economy," she said. "...A similarly essential engine to the U.S. economy is our Hispanic and Latino population."

"Hispanic immigrants are significantly more likely to be entrepreneurs than the general U.S. population," Bilonick added.

VP press pool #11 (last email was misnumbered)/conversation begins

13:31 "Why is supporting small business a priority for you?" Buzo asked to begin the panel discussion.

In answer, Harris said small businesses employ half the nation's work force.

"They are contributing to the economic health of our nation in a profound way," she said.

Buzo asked if now is a good time for people to start small businesses, considering widespread economic challenges.

"Yes, now is a good time," Harris said. "...The work that we have been doing over the last couple of years has been to maximize the capacity of that additional funding to increase access to capital."

One way to increase access to capital is to connect business owners with community banks, Harris said, "which are in the community run by members of the community; they understand the capacity of the community; they understand that the culture of the community, the mores of the community, what the community wants for itself."

VP press pool #12/Vicky Garcia

13:50 Vicky Garcia, senior vice president of the Latino Community Credit Union, spoke about small business owners finding valuable resources.

Business owners, especially from Hispanic communities, might not be aware of the programs at their disposal to leverage assets into growth. The Latino Community Credit Union has helped dispense millions in resources.

"I don't want this to be the best kept secret," Garcia said to laughter from the audience. "Please tell everyone that you can go to the credit union, through the financial education program, and build your assets with us and in this beautiful country."

VP press pool #13/sba.gov

13:56 Accessing capital was the central theme of the group's conversation, said Isabella Casillas Guzman, administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration.

"In the president's first year, $450 billion was disbursed around the country," Guzman said. "And we got it into the hands of those left out previously, into the hands of the smallest of the small businesses."

Harris asked Guzman what steps would-be business owners can take if they're unsure where to start. Through SBA.gov, the Small Business Administration's website, such people can reach business advisers to help them "get the skills you need to fill that toolkit with all the resources you need to run your business day-to-day," Guzman said. "Those are expert mentors who've done business themselves."

SBA mentors are available to speak with people in 27 different languages, Guzman added.

VP press pool #14/event conclusion

14:10 The panel concluded its discussion and Harris promptly exited.

VP press pool #15/surprise stop

14:45 background info from a White House official:

On her way back to the airport, the Vice President stopped by Panadería Artesanal, a Latina-owned bakery in Raleigh North Carolina. It is owned by Jessica Karina Barahora, and employs 17 additional staff members. Karina Barahora began the business with a loan from the Latino Community Credit Union, which she used to purchase the vehicle out of which she ran the business until it became became profitable enough to rent their current brick-and-mortar storefront.

VP press pool #16/bakery

14:50 Reps. Foushee, Nickel and Ross rejoined Harris to tour the panaderia y tortilleria. They stayed about 15 minutes before departing for the airport. Harris, with help from the bakery's owner, collected a tray full of baked goods.

VP press pool #17/departure

15:30 Harris returned to RDU international airport where she boarded AF2 with Reps. Foushee, Nickel and Ross.