Duckworth Urges Action from SBA to Help Small Businesses Harmed by COVID-19 Outbreak

WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) wrote to the Honorable Jovita Carranza, Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, to urge the agency to establish a task force focused on effectively and efficiently providing assistance to small businesses harmed by the outbreak of coronavirus 2 (COVID-19).

“This is particularly important for small businesses who lack the capital reserves and human resources to weather and respond to sudden, severe and sustained downturn due to a disease outbreak or pandemic,” wrote Duckworth. “The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is the Federal agency authorized and prepared to provide disaster and non-disaster loans to the small businesses suffering from the negative economic impacts from the advancing community spread of COVID-19.”

Duckworth continued: “Public reports indicate that public fears over COVID-19 have resulted in disproportionate harm to certain small business interests, particularly Chinese restaurants and other Asian-American Pacific Islander (AAPI)-owned small businesses that are suffering from declining foot traffic and sales.”

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