[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 22 (Thursday, February 2, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H657]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                CHALLENGES FACING RURAL SMALL BUSINESSES

  (Mr. MOONEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. MOONEY. Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, the House resoundingly 
passed my bipartisan bill, the Expanding Access to Capital for Rural 
Job Creators Act.
  Rural small businesses face unique challenges that big city 
businesses do not. Nearly 20 percent of the U.S. population lives in 
rural areas, yet businesses in rural areas raised under 2 percent of 
total capital over the last 3 years.
  My home State of West Virginia is a very rural State where no city 
has a population greater than 50,000 people. My legislation simply 
requires the United States Securities and Exchange Commission's 
Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation to identify and report to 
Congress those challenges rural small businesses face when trying to 
access our capital markets.
  My bill will make it easier for Congress to do our jobs to make sure 
rural small businesses, like those in West Virginia, are not left 
behind.
  Mr. Speaker, I hope the Senate takes this bill up very soon.

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