Vice Presidential Pool Reports of July 29, 2021

VP pool report #1 - Pool gathered

Good afternoon from the White House, where your pool is gathered, masked and tested.

The VP will be speaking this afternoon at a virtual webinar hosted by the Small Business Administration, one of a regional series called "Getting Back on Track: Help is Here," which began in May.

From the VP's schedule:

At 2:00PM EDT, the Vice President and SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman will virtually drop by a meeting with small business owners to discuss the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal and the Administration's efforts to help small businesses. This event in South Court Auditorium will be pooled press and livestreamed on WhiteHouse.gov/Live.

Let me know if any questions!

VP pool report #2 - Pool in South Court

Pool entered the South Court Auditorium at 1:44. The VP is scheduled for 2 PM.

Full background from the VP's office:

On Background:

Today the Vice President will speak virtually to small business owners across the country about how the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal will benefit small businesses, and how since day one the President and Vice President have worked to support small businesses. The Vice President will also take questions. She will be joined by SBA Administrator Isabel Guzman.

Per event organizers, over 15,000 small business owners have RSVP'd for the event.

The event is part of the "Back on Track" series hosted by the Small Business Administration, which invites small business owners across the country to discuss the American Rescue Plan and recovery efforts, small business' role in the effort to increase vaccinations, digital tools offered by SBA, and other news of the day relevant to small business owners.

Background on the Vice President's Leadership on Small Business
Throughout her career, the Vice President has fought to strengthen small businesses and help entrepreneurs grow their companies. She believes our nation is stronger when entrepreneurs and innovators have the opportunity to choose and determine their own future.

Her first public event as Vice President was with small business owners two days after taking office – and since then she has met with small business owners across the country.

As a Senator, she led on securing $12 billion for community lenders in the December 2020 COVID/Omnibus bill – to support the smallest of small businesses, those most impacted by the pandemic. As Vice President, she has worked with Secretary Yellen, White House officials, leaders, and others to ensure successful implementation of the program.

The Vice President worked to strengthen and extend the PPP program – so that small businesses can weather the pandemic and emerge stronger. And she worked closely with President Biden and Members of Congress to ensure small businesses received $60b in support from the American Rescue Plan, and that small businesses would benefit from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal through investments in infrastructure, transportation, high-speed internet, and more.

As she wrote in a recent Forbes essay:

"Today, our nation must reimagine our economy, so that every American entrepreneur can launch and grow an enterprise. It is in this reimagining that we will remain competitive—and come out of this pandemic stronger than before."

VP pool report #3 - VP Remarks and answers to small business owners

VP was seated on the right side of the stage as of 2:17, wearing a baby blue suit and tan heels, with a red and blue screen displaying "Getting Back on Track" behind her, along with the SBA logo and Public Private Strategies Institute logo.

She was facing a large screen with a Zoom of several business owners, about 40 visible.

Administrator Guzman was seated on the left side in a black suit and black shoes. Summary of her remarks further below.

VP began speaking at 2:23. Will send fuller quotes and an Otter when possible.

She thanked the small business owners on screen for their courage throughout this time.

"You are not only leaders in business, you are civic leaders. You are community leaders."

"Small businesses make good paying jobs."

"Small businesses keep our nation competitive."

"I don't need to remind you guys of those days when we first took office," when folks were struggling, she says.

"With our American Rescue Plan, we did what we planned to do in terms of relief."

"In the first half of this year, our economy has grown at its fastest rate in nearly 40 years."

The VP says small businesses need more relief, and says she has focused on the issue of "access to capital."

"As you well know, traditional banks, well, they've not always seen or understood the vision like a community bank can."

The VP says she supports community lenders as one way to help small businesses.

"We will invest in the infrastructure that supports your growth."

"Yesterday, the Senate voted to advance a bipartisan infrastructure deal."

"It's a point of pride that it was a bipartisan deal."

"It's more difficult to get your goods to market when roads are crumbling." "It's more difficult for small business to reach new customers when their internet connection is slow."

"Our infrastructure as a nation needs an upgrade."

"All of you — you have vision and you have drive. A strong sense of purpose often comes from within, but it requires support. Support from your family and your friends. Support from your community. And you deserve to have support from your government. I want you to know that the President and I are 100% committed to supporting small businesses."

The VP took two questions from small business owners.

Tiara Flynn from Las Vegas asked about expanding access to capital for black women entrepreneurs.

VP: "The pandemic really, in many ways, exposed the fissures and the failures and fractures in our society," but she says it opened an opportunity.
"We are starting a new era and a new epoch."
"We have an opportunity to shape an economy of the future."
"Our Build Back agenda is designed to invest billions of dollars to support small businesses around access to credit."

Walt Rowen from Columbia, Pennsylvania, owner of Susquehanna Glass and receiver of a PPP loan, asks how the VP will make sure small businesses will have a voice in government.

"I believe that our small business owners are pillars of the community."

"Really — small businesses are so much, not just intertwined but part of the fabric of communities."

"You are part of the infrastructure of our economy."

"Government should be in the business of encouraging and rewarding self determination."

VP finished speaking at 2:46.

Admin. Guzman began speaking at 2:19.

"I've spent the past several weeks traveling around the country, meeting with small business owners."

"Our economy is clearly on the road to recovery."

"Many small businesses continue to struggle."

She mentioned the PPP portal and also the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal, calling it a "game changer."

VP pool report #4 - Otter and fuller quotes

The event was streamed at https://www.whitehouse.gov/live/ but here is a rough Otter of the event: https://otter.ai/u/K9mdHraUFJmsAP-iu-vwAUf5pTo

Some highlights from the VP:

"I just want to thank you all for all the courage and endurance and commitment that you all have shown forever but especially in this last year and a half."

"The president and I spend a lot of time thinking about our relationship with our allies and even our adversaries around the world. And one of the great points of emphasis for us is that we must remain competitive. Well, you are a big part of the formula for how we will do that."

"The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal will improve the lives of people in our country and the strength of our small businesses. I will speak for the president and myself to say it's a point of pride that it was a bipartisan deal, because I don't need to tell you all -- small businesses, the contribution they make to communities and the challenges they face, really don't have much to do with who they voted for in the last election or will in the next election as they're doing what they need to do on the ground every day to actually be successful."

"It is more difficult to get your goods to market when our roads are crumbling. Infrastructure, why is that important? Well, it's more difficult for your customers to travel to your store when our transit, in particular public transit systems, are failing. It is more difficult for small businesses to reach new customers when their internet connection is slow or in many cases -- and I know we have a lot of rural business leaders here -- but when that internet connection is slow or non-existent. So, our infrastructure as a nation needs an upgrade."

"You have vision, and you have drive. A strong sense of purpose often comes from within, as we all know, but it requires support. Support from your family and your friends, support from your community. And you deserve to have the support from your government. So I want you to know that the president and I are 100% committed to supporting America's small businesses and small business owners."

That's it from me -- please reach out if any other Qs!