C-Suite Wednesday – Senator Risch Addresses Rural Access to Capital at the National Rural Lenders’ Roundtable

December 11, 2019

By Caity Witucki
Contributing Editor, C-Suite Wednesday

C-Suite Wednesday – Senator Risch Addresses Rural Access to Capital at the National Rural Lenders’ Roundtable

On December 4, 2019, Senator Risch (R ID) spoke at the National Rural Lenders’ Roundtable in Washington DC.

“In my years of service to Idaho I have seen firsthand what rural America can produce when given the opportunity,” says Risch. “Unfortunately, our federal resources – which we all pay into – are often tailored to and concentrated in coastal urban cities, while much of America’s rural talent and innovation go unnoted and overlooked. That is why the federal programs, such as the opportunity zone program, USDA/SBA lending, and investment programs intended to spur economic development in rural and underserved communities are so vital to current and future American small businesses.”

Risch calls for Washington to do all it can to help businesses in rural America get started, survive and grow. “In DC, my goal is to ensure rural America is protected from bureaucrats who are constantly trying to enact overly burdensome regulation and to make sure that small businesses have access to the resources their tax dollars are paying for,” says Risch.

To increase rural America’s access to capital, Risch has introduced two bills intended to help small businesses grow and thrive. The Small Business Investment Improvement Act will help bring more capital to small businesses and ensure oversight of the small business investment company program while the FAST Fix Act will prioritize small businesses and universities in rural states to receive more research and development grants from federal agencies.

Risch concludes, “I am proud of the great growth of our economy and I’m going to continue in Washington to support our rural small businesses so that the United States of America can continue to be the greatest country in the world.”

Sources:
The Small Business Investment Improvement Act
FAST Fix Act
2019 National Rural Lenders’ Roundtable