Press ReleaseMarch 2, 2021

Petition: 700+ Small Business Owners Oppose $1.9 Trillion Legislative Package

While Nancy Pelosi Boasts of 300 small business representatives in favor, JCN collects more than double opposed

Washington, D.C. (March 2, 2021)—Today, the Job Creators Network (JCN) announced that more than 700 small business owners across the country have signed-on to a petition opposing passage of the $1.9 trillion legislative package moving through Congress. Although supporters of the bill claim it addresses the lingering pandemic, more than a trillion dollars of spending is earmarked for non-coronavirus related projects and policies.

Among the provisions, the bill includes $150 million for Schumer’s bridge to Canada, $50 million in grants to left-wing environmental groups, and $800 million for foreign aid—all components that have little relation to the coronavirus. As passed in the House, the package also includes raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour.

Instead, America’s small business community prefers Congress to pursue legislation that provides targeted relief to Main Street businesses and their employees. More than 700 small business owners signed on to JCN’s petition opposing the current legislative package—double the amount of small business representatives collected by Speaker Nancy Pelosi in her efforts to drum-up support in favor of the bill. Read the petition here.

Alfredo Ortiz, JCN President and CEO, released the following statement:

Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she has 300 small business representatives that support the $1.9 trillion stimulus package. Well, we call her 300 and have 300 more small business owners that oppose it. The legislation is simply too bloated and appropriates more than $1 trillion to pet projects and policies that are unrelated to the pandemic it supposedly is intended to address. As the bill heads to the Senate this week, lawmakers should gut the spending package so the focus shifts to helping small businesses and their employees recover from the pandemic-induced, government-enforced lockdowns. Main Street is sick and tired of Uncle Sam gambling with their future.”