When hurricanes ravaged the southern Gulf Coast, small businesses in particular were hard hit, and many employers in the region fear they will not have the capital to rebuild. Since the hurricane, some small business owners have begun to complain that aid designated for the region is not coming. We talked with our “Point / Counterpoint” team, veteran New York Rep. Nydia Velazquez and Rep. Rick Renzi of Arizona, what Congress can do to help entrepreneurs in the Gulf Coast recover.
ENTREPRENEUR: In your opinion, what programs would best benefit entrepreneurs in the devastated regions?
REP. Renzi: The best type of short-term program is the right combination of grants and loans. However, the federal government must provide the total solution. These short-term programs can come from private, local, state and federal – right after the hurricane hit, donations from private foundations and the Federal Emergency Management Agency helped meet the immediate relief needs of employers. In the long run, the American Bankers Association has recommended that the SBA allow private lenders to offer SBA also backed disaster loans. I’m open to [a] private sector solution backed up.
REP. VELAZQUEZ: The government must play a key role. The SBA has to offer not only immediate disaster assistance, but [also] ensure that these companies are prepared for the long term. We have the [SBA] microcredit program that will come into play here. The SBA has to go back to the drawing board and develop a strategy of how we speed the loan process.