News

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) chaired a Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship hearing titled, “Examining the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Office of Disaster Assistance and the Response to Recent Catastrophic Floods.” The hearing looked into SBA’s response to the recent flooding that has devastated communities across the Midwest and the country. SBA’s Office of Disaster Assistance provides critical long-term direct loans to underinsured homeowners, renters, and businesses that are impacted by a disaster.
 
“My home State of Florida is no stranger to natural disasters, with four hurricanes hitting the state in the past three years alone. I know first-hand the hardship, pain, uncertainty, and profound sense of frustration that disasters instill in the survivors,” Rubio said. “Too often when the waters recede and media outlets turn the attention of the nation to the next pressing story or event, victims of disasters are left to pick up the pieces of their lives and businesses alone.”
 
“I’d like to thank Senator Ernst for chairing this important hearing on the SBA’s Office of Disaster Assistance, and the response to the recent torrential flooding that has and continues to occur throughout the United States,” Rubio continued. “Senator Ernst is a strong advocate for her constituents and the Iowa small businesses who have fallen victim to the terrible floods.”   
 
“As Iowa homeowners and businesses recover from the devastating floods that have impacted so much of our state, the SBA’s Office of Disaster Assistance has been on-hand to assist in the recovery effort. This hearing was a great opportunity to better understand the challenges businesses in Iowa have faced since the flooding and how responsive the SBA’s Office of Disaster Assistance has been during the recovery process. It’s so important we continue to conduct oversight on these programs to ensure they’re providing effective and timely assistance to Iowans, and folks across the country,” Ernst said.
 
Senator Rubio is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
 
The video of the hearing can be found here.