U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) led a group of more than four dozen senators to approve a resolution officially declaring Nov. 3-7 National Veterans Small Business Week (NVSBW), at the same time the Small Business Administration has dramatically minimized the annual celebration.
The bipartisan resolution put forward by Ernst, a combat veteran who served in the Iowa Army National Guard for more than 20 years, was supported by 60 Senate colleagues. The resolution will pass the chamber by unanimous consent essentially without voice votes but without any objections.
“Ensuring veterans have every opportunity to pursue the American Dream is personal to me,” Ernst told Military.com. “They fiercely protected our freedoms during their service and now as civilians exemplify the American entrepreneurial spirit.
“During National Veterans Small Business Week, join me in celebrating these men and women who have served their country and now their communities!”
The U.S. has more than 1.65 million veteran-owned businesses that employ roughly 3.3 million people and generate $952 billion in annual sales, with the business total representing approximately 5% of all national small businesses.
The resolution “recognizes the importance of creating policies that promote a business-friendly environment for small business owners that is free of unnecessary and burdensome regulations and red tape; and expresses appreciation for the continued service to the United States by the veterans of the United States through small business ownership and entrepreneurship.”
Ernst, chair of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, previously introduced the Accountability in Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Contracting Act and the Stop Stolen Valor for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) Contractors Act—efforts championed to require agencies to only take credit for contract awards made to certified businesses that meet criteria, while forcing federal agencies to testify before Congress if goals of meeting WOSB are not met.
In November 2023, about six months after her WOSB legislation was introduced, the senator elected in 2014 led a hearing aimed to increase the effectiveness of the SBA veterans’ business development programs. It was meant to bridge the gap faced by veteran entrepreneurs and small business owners who, especially in rural areas, struggled to gain access to at that time more than 25 million dollars in technical services and resources provided by SBA programming.
Shutdown Impacts Veteran Events
The timing of this legislation coincides with Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Kelly Loeffler effectively canceling this week’s national events intended to be part of the 12th annual NVSBW, blaming Democrats for the lengthy government shutdown that has dragged on more than 35 days and resulted in diminished funding across SBA and numerous other agencies.
On Monday, Loeffler—a former U.S. Senator from Georgia—issued a statement condemning Democrats for the second-longest shutdown in U.S. history, which she said have stalled programs that benefit veterans.
“By refusing to support a clean funding bill to reopen the government, Senate Democrats have frozen the majority of SBA’s services—including our small business lending programs and public events like National Veterans Small Business Week,” Loeffler said.
“I am disappointed that [the] SBA will be unable to recognize our nation’s veteran entrepreneurs, and that Senate Democrats continue to block pay for more than 1 million active-duty military members. The Trump administration is pursuing every option to support our troops, but until Senate Democrats reverse course, our veteran-owned small businesses and service members will continue to feel the pain of the federal shutdown,” she added.
More than three dozen virtual and in-person events were in the works leading up to this week, aside from local events.
Military.com reached out to the SBA for comment.
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