Otsego, MN – Congressman Tom Emmer (MN-06) received the “Guardian of Small Business” award, presented by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) for his consistent and strong support of small businesses in the 116th Congress.
The Guardian of Small Business award is presented to Members of Congress who vote to help small businesses on issues that matter most to them. Read more about the award here.
Upon receiving the award, Congressman Emmer issued the following statement:
"Over 99 percent of American businesses are classified as small businesses, which is why I am proud to be named a Guardian of Small Business by the NFIB,” said Emmer. “I will continue to fight for our small businesses, especially as they face unprecedented challenges and forced closures. Entrepreneurs deserve the chance to thrive, and their government should not stand in the way.”
Emmer concluded, “I proudly cosponsored the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act, which extended the ability for businesses to use funding to pay their employees as well as streamline the process for forgiveness of these loans. Unfortunately, additional support for these lifelines of our economy have been rejected by Democrats. In the last two months, House Republicans have tried 39 times to give small businesses access to leftover funds from the Paycheck Protection Program, but it has been blocked by Speaker Pelosi every time. It’s imperative that we provide this targeted relief now. I will continue to fight for our Main Street businesses and small businesses across America.”
“The NFIB Guardian of Small Business Award is awarded to lawmakers who small businesses can truly count on,” said Kevin Kuhlman, NFIB Vice President of Federal Government Relations. “These Members of the U.S. House of Representatives are dedicated supporters of the key issues that our members are concerned about and have proven themselves to be real champions for small business. Our policy positions are driven by our members, and we report NFIB Key Votes back to our membership. We are proud to recognize Congressman Emmer for earning this distinction in the 116th Congress by taking pro-small business votes supporting financial assistance programs and tax relief and opposing new regulations and increased labor costs. Small business owners across the country need their support now more than ever during these unprecedented times, and we are grateful to Congressman Emmer for his leadership."
In addition, Congressman Emmer supported funding for the Paycheck Protection Program in the CARES Act. He also supported the Middle Class Health Benefits Tax Repeal Act, which repealed the “Cadillac Tax,” an excise tax imposed on certain employer-sponsored health care plans.
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