This week, U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., and Isabel Guzman, the administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), held an event in Miami to showcase small businesses in South Florida.
Salazar, who leads Republicans on the U.S. House Small Business Subcommittee on Contracting and Infrastructure, weighed in after a roundtable event at Miami Dade College with Guzman.
“The American Dream thrives when our economy is given the freedom it needs to grow and empowers our small business do what they do best – innovate, create jobs, and provide value to their customers and community,” said Salazar. “It was an honor to host Administrator Guzman and introduce her to the heart of Florida’s 27th District. Today’s visit solidified a strong relationship between my office and the SBA, and I look forward to working together to ensure Miami small businesses can access the resources they need to thrive.”
“It was inspiring to hear from small business owners in Miami who have worked so hard to start, grow, and adapt their businesses in challenging times,” said Guzman. “I’m proud of the work the SBA is doing to help entrepreneurs in South Florida and across the country to access the capital, markets, and resources they need to thrive, and I want to thank Rep. Salazar for her partnership as we work to serve all of our small businesses and help them succeed.”
Salazar used the opportunity to showcase the ““Expanding Contracting Opportunities for Small Businesses Act” which she introduced in May and which passed the House in September.
“This is a critical measure that will help our small businesses, particularly disadvantaged contractors who have been devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic. These changes will level the playing field and encourage more small contractors to participate in government programs leading to a quicker rebuilding of the US economy,” her office noted. “Specifically, this bill raises caps on sole-source contracting for small businesses through the Small Business Administration (SBA) from $5 million to $8 million for general contracts and from $7 million to $10 million for manufacturing contracts. This contracting program directly benefits veteran-owned, women-owned, and minority-owned businesses, as well as those operating in economically disadvantaged areas. It will also help boost U.S. small manufacturing capabilities. Prior to COVID-19, SBA’s caps for sole source contracting have been stagnant for decades.”
In March 2021, Salazar introduced the “COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EDIL) Relief Act” to give small businesses an extra year to pay back Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) funds due to the pandemic, moving the repayment time from one year to two. The SBA embraced that policy later in March 2021
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