Spotlight on the 116th Congress:
Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) Q
where we truly impact small businesses in everything we do. As we craft public policy solutions, we must always consider the impact of these policies on smaller companies, and that’s been my focus.
As the son of a small-business owner, what qualities or skills did you develop growing up that you utilize as a senator?
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I learned a lot growing up in a small-business family. I worked there and got to watch my dad build the business from scratch through integrity, accountability and a lot of hard work. His motto was “total reliability and people and product.” He always viewed it as a team effort, focusing on helping people in the company meet their potential. He was ahead of his time in a lot of ways, including providing profit sharing and retirement savings accounts long before that became the norm. The lessons I learned from him combined with my own experiences now as a small-business owner have allowed me to better understand the real-world impacts that policies made in D.C. have on small businesses in Ohio.
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How is relief legislation, similar to what was passed during the pandemic, important to small-business owners?
How has your role on the Senate Committee on Finance influenced your opinions on the impact of legislation on small business?
Whether it is taxes, trade, health care, or pensions and retirement security, the Finance Committee is a place
Over the years I’ve focused a lot on small-business tax cuts, regulatory relief and making retirement plans simpler to use for small businesses. Recently, I was proud to help Cincinnati small-business owner Troy Parker receive a $235,000 PPP loan in June after we worked to expand PPP eligibility to cover Second Chance businesses owned by individuals who have a previous criminal record but have turned their lives around. Troy is a Second Chance success story, having started Innovative Labor and Cleaning in 2015 after re-entering the community. He hires others returning to the community, many of whom struggle with addiction and mental health issues. The PPP application initially asked applicants to declare unrelated felony records, which prohibited him from accessing the loan program. Together, we worked with the administration to remove barriers to PPP loans for entrepreneurs who have been involved with the justice system.
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In what ways are you seeking feedback from small businesses in Ohio and using that information in Washington, D.C.?
Over the August recess, I’ve visited several small businesses across Ohio to hear directly from them about how the federal response has helped or hurt them thus far and what they need moving forward to keep the doors open and continue to hire people. I look forward to taking the ideas and concerns I’ve heard back with me to Washington as the negotiations on the next COVID-19 response package continue. S
11 SCORE | 2020 Issue 3
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What challenges have you helped small businesses in your district overcome?
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Through no fault of their own, a lot of small businesses have been under stress with the pandemic. The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) in particular has helped keep small businesses like Vinylmax in Hamilton, Ohio, and World Class Plastics of Russells Point, Ohio, afloat by providing loans – which in turn become forgivable grants – to keep employees on payroll with their health care and other benefits. This program has been a lifeline for so many in Ohio. I hear about it wherever I go.
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