US Senators and Small Businesses

Virginia

Jim Webb– Democratic
Incumbent Since: 1/4/2007
SMB Policies/Laws Passed: Voted to pass legislation that would eliminate a 1099 tax form reporting requirement that was enacted under President Obama’s healthcare package.

Mark Warner – Democratic
Incumbent Since: 1/6/2009
SMB Policies/Laws Passed:

• • Recently announced that the U.S. Department of the Treasury has approved Virginia’s application for up to $18 million in additional federal loan support to the Virginia Small Business Financing Authority. Officials expect these additional funds to leverage up to $288 million in new small business financing and believe the loan support could help to create nearly 43,000 jobs among Virginia’s small businesses.

• • Proposed in 2009 that the Treasury re-obligate a portion of existing TARP funds in order to create a loan pool specifically for small business lending. The proposal would make $50 billion in credit available.

Washington

Patty Murray – Democratic
Incumbent Since: 1/5/1993
SMB Policies/Laws Passed:

• • Actively pushes the SBA to follow through on directives from Congress to help women and minority business owners have an equal opportunity to receive government contracts.

• • Fought hard to pass the Small Business Lending Fund legislation.

Maria Cantwell – Democratic
Incumbent Since: 1/3/2001
SMB Policies/Laws Passed:

• • Helped pass legislation that invests in technological innovation in high-tech small businesses. The SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research)/ STTR (Small Business Technology Transfer) Reauthorization Act of 2011 (S. 493) helps sustain the flow of capital to job-creating small businesses.

• • Aggressively pushed for legislation that would create a $30 billion Small Business Lending Fund to be tapped solely by the community banks, which small businesses rely heavily on for loans.