[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 207 (Tuesday, December 8, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H6915-H6916]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               SMALL BUSINESSES ARE STRUGGLING TO SURVIVE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
North Carolina (Mr. Budd) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BUDD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the frustrated and, 
frankly, exhausted small business job-creators in my district and 
across the Nation who are struggling to survive while the Speaker 
continues to play politics with people's livelihoods.
  While many States and localities begin to make the same mistake of 
instituting massive shutdowns, small businesses have been left high and 
dry.

[[Page H6916]]

  Imagine pouring everything you have emotionally and financially into 
an idea; then you watch it grow and thrive, but, through no fault of 
your own, it gets ruined because your local government shuts you down 
and the Federal Government refuses to help.
  The Speaker can solve this problem today by allowing a vote to 
unleash over $130 billion in already-appropriated leftover PPP funding.
  In addition, the House should immediately consider the Small Business 
Expense Protection Act, which was introduced by my friend and fellow 
North Carolinian, George Holding. That bill would clarify the confusion 
at the IRS and make sure that recipients can deduct PPP-financed 
expenses on their taxes.
  Mr. Speaker, for the sake of our Nation's job creators and for the 
sake of our workers, it is time that we act to support our fellow 
citizens as we enter the final stages of our battle against this virus.

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