Illinois Congresswoman Cheri Bustos visited local small businesses in Viola and Galesburg on Friday to show her support for them amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
She made stops at the following local businesses in Mercer and Knox counties to discuss the American Rescue Plan:
“Small businesses drive our local economies, but the COVID-19 pandemic has hit them hard,” said Bustos. “We must provide them our support, and that’s why I’m pleased to have passed the bold American Rescue Plan to bolster funding for the Paycheck Protection Program and extend the deadline for business owners to take advantage of this critical resource, which has helped the local shops I visited today keep employees on payroll and stay afloat during the public health crisis.”
One owner expressed to Bustos that she doesn’t believe the business would have made it through pandemic without the Paycheck Protection Program, while another owner shared that it allowed her to keep employees on payroll.
Bustos also spent time in Viola and Galesburg discussing the American Rescue Plan, as well as the Small Business Succession Planning Act, which was created after conducting a series of economic roundtables with community leaders in Galesburg and Sterling back in 2019.
One common theme heard across these communities was that owners needed help passing along their small businesses after they move on to new opportunities, retire or pass away.
Bustos says the bipartisan act was introduced to provide small business owners the support needed to create a business succession plan, which more than 58% of small business owners reportedly do not have.
“To help small businesses plan for the future, I recently introduced bipartisan legislation to provide small business owners with the tools they need to prepare succession plans and build a healthy financial future for themselves and their communities,” said Bustos.
Mercer and Knox are among many Illinois counties in the Local 4 News viewing area receiving funds from the American Rescue Plan.
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