Ben Cardin, Steve Daines, Maggie Hassan, US Senators

In this episode of Talks at GS, US Senators Ben Cardin, Steve Daines, and Maggie Hassan discuss the federal government’s efforts to assist small business owners impacted by the economic shutdown.

Senator Cardin on passing bipartisan relief for small business owners: “We were determined that America needed us to succeed and I think almost every legislator is there to get things done in a positive way. And when you do that and you listen to what people's views are, you listen to the small business owners, you take pride in reaching the finish line, getting something done for the American people.” 

Senator Hassan on the power of small businesses: “What I know is that small businesses not only often spur additional economic development in our small communities… But they also know their customers. They know their communities. They know their employees. And they know them in all these different aspects in a way that makes them natural advocates for many layers of interests and concerns.” 

Senator Daines on future relief for small business owners: “We've seen fewer customers, lower revenues, and additional costs related to protective measures. That's a case in point of what advocacy does to help us better understand what the real-time situation is. We can make sure that the policy decisions we're making here are relevant and are actually solving a problem we're seeing on the front lines of small businesses.”

This episode was filmed as part of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Voices Virtual Capitol Hill Week on June 9, 2020.