Ernst

For 250 years, our nation has been built on innovation coming from Main Street storefronts, rows of rolling corn fields, and mechanic shop workbenches. These unassuming yet extraordinary spots in every corner of America have been essential to helping our nation thrive and to setting so many of our citizens up to live the American Dream.

I’ve witnessed the American spirit of innovation up close while crisscrossing Iowa from the Mississippi River to the Missouri River over the last decade.

From small town grocers like the folks at Dutchman’s Store in Cantril who built a thriving business to fill an essential need in their rural community to the team at Orange City Family Animal Care in Sioux County who go a whisker above the rest to provide high quality pet healthcare, and many more, it has been such a blessing to meet accomplished entrepreneurs in every corner of our great state.

Small businesses like theirs are a cornerstone of Iowa’s economy, making up more than 99% of all businesses and employing 82% of workers in the Hawkeye state. The same is true nationally, where over 36 million small businesses create two out of every three new jobs and generate nearly half of our country’s GDP.

During National Small Business Week, and always, I’m proud to fight for the dedicated people behind those small businesses that power our nation.

As chair of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, I work tirelessly to elevate their voices to the highest levels and champion their values in the halls of Congress.

That’s why I voted for the Working Families Tax Cuts Act (WFTC), permanently extending the 2017 Trump tax cuts and keeping more of your hard-earned money in your pocket where it belongs.

This landmark bill, passed by Senate Republicans, reduced taxes for over 12 million small business owners by roughly $7,000.

It eliminates unnecessary red tape so entrepreneurs can stay focused on what they do best instead of digging out of mountains of paperwork.

It protects our farmers by preventing harmful death tax increases from hitting 2 million family-owned farms.

It makes it easier than ever for small business owners to invest in equipment and cutting-edge research because, with future certainty, they are empowered to grow and bet on themselves.

And, of course, we can’t forget the elimination of taxes on tips and overtime – clear, no-nonsense policies immediately making a difference for folks across the country.

But I didn’t stop there.

As the leading advocate for small businesses in the Senate, I have also worked to ensure tax dollars designated for small businesses do not end up in the hands of con artists.

I am fighting to catch the criminals who stole more than $200 billion in COVID aid from taxpayers and to prevent convicted fraudsters from accessing Small Business Administration (SBA) assistance. Those who broke the law must be held accountable, not rewarded.

I am also working with SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler on my Made in America Manufacturing Finance Act, which would fuel the domestic manufacturing boom by giving Iowa small manufacturers more access to capital through SBA lending programs. This commonsense and bipartisan bill will provide the resources necessary for businesses to invest in new equipment, hire new employees, and most importantly, make “Made in America” the norm, not the exception.

These are just a few of the many ways I’m fighting to ensure Iowans and all Americans have tools to forge innovation and expand the American entrepreneurial spirit.

Because when Main Street thrives, I am confident our country will thrive for our next 250 years and beyond.

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Republican Joni Ernst, a native of Red Oak and a combat veteran, represents Iowa in the United States Senate.