REMARKS BY VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS AFTER VISITING A SMALL BUSINESS

Colada Shop
Washington, D.C.

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Okay, guys.  Well, let me just say that part of the reason I met with Daniella last week — she came with a number of incredible business leaders to talk about the work that we are doing and the impact of Build Back Better and the impact of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal.  And it ranges. 
 
Part of the ability of any of our businesses — our small businesses, our medium-sized businesses — to thrive is they need to have a transit system that allows their customers to get here, that allows them to move their product.  This is part of the real nuts and bolts of why the infrastructure deal is important.  It’s important to these leaders who then are not only business leaders, they’re community leaders, they’re civic leaders.
 
     On the issue of Build Back Better, one of the extensive parts of our conversation was around access to capital, in particular for minority- and women-owned businesses.  That is part of the Build Back Better agenda, is to make sure that we are identifying those businesses and making it easy for them to do what they would normally do, which is qualify for assistance so they can not only open a business but grow a business.
 
     Another point that is critically important to the work of our small businesses is to allow their workers, like the people in here — the people who I just visited with, who are working in the kitchen — to have affordable childcare.  There are so many women who have left the workforce for a number of reasons, including a lack of available and affordable childcare.  Both pieces are important.  Both pieces are being addressed by the Build Back Better agenda.
 
     And Daniella’s work here at Colada and her other businesses is a prime example of why these two pieces of legislation are critical and are about everyday folks trying to contribute to their community, contributing and growing our workforce, and in that way, essential to all of us if we want a productive and an economically healthy community.
 
     So, I thank you.
 
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