Senators Kennemer, Thomsen help small businesses

By Taxpayer Association of Oregon
OregonWatchdog.com

The federal government recently passed the American Rescue Plan Act, 2021 (ARPA), and Oregon got $2.6 billion from the package. $720 million of the funds were made available for investments on the local level in communities across the state, and the deadline for consideration was April 2.

Part of the funds from the ARPA package are designated for struggling communities nationwide by providing support for the hardest-hit small businesses.

Sen. Chuck Thomsen (R-Hood River) and Sen. Bill Kennemer (R-Canby) displayed leadership by working together to maximize the impact of the federal funds on local communities by making chambers of commerce and the business recovery centers that chambers often partner with aware of the application for fund assistance.

“It’s no secret that the government-mandated lockdowns forced countless hard-working Oregonians to shutter their businesses, often for good,” said Sen. Thomsen. “I am happy to help connect chambers of commerce and business recovery centers to the chance at funding. These organizations offer resources to support hard-working Oregonians as they get their businesses not only reopened, but on the road to recovery.”

“It is my priority to get hard-working Oregonians back to work and out of government-mandated unemployment,” said Sen. Kennemer. “Whether or not we agree with the federal government printing money, we need to make sure it goes to worthy causes such as chambers of commerce and business recovery centers.”

Business recovery centers connect businesses to services and resources that can assist with recovery from the economic downturn caused by continuing government-mandated restrictions that upended Oregonians’ livelihoods overnight.