During Women’s History Month, Gottheimer holds roundtable with women small business owners

PARAMUS, NJ (Bergen County) — U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) Friday held a roundtable with women small business owners and chamber of commerce leaders from across North Jersey to discuss issues impacting small businesses — including pay equity, access to childcare, cutting red tape, lowering taxes, and making starting and growing a business in New Jersey more affordable.

“I want to make it possible for generations of Jersey women to write entrepreneurship stories of their own,” Gottheimer said. “I won’t stop fighting for and your success.”

Gottheimer is supporting women entrepreneurs in New Jersey by:

• Ensuring equal pay for equal work: Gottheimer introduced the Paycheck Fairness Act in 2017 to close the persistent gap between men and women’s earnings. Last year, he helped lead a resolution that recognizes the significance of pay disparities between men and women.
• Expanding access to capital: Gottheimer helped shape and pass the American Rescue Plan, which required the Small Business Administration to implement its State Small Business Credit Initiative. SSBCI provides $10 billion to states like Jersey to expand capital access for small business owners. Gottheimer has also helped lead the Small Business Energy Loan Enhancement Act and Small Business Child Care Investment Act, which will make it easier for new businesses in the energy and childcare sectors respectively to secure SBA loans. Finally, Congressman Gottheimer announced at the roundtable that he had joined the Women’s Business Centers Improvement Act, which will expand funding for SBA Women’s Business Centers across the country that provide training and loan counseling for women business owners.
• Making childcare more affordable: Gottheimer launched his Childcare Affordability Plan in January to help parents go to work and ensure their children have the care they deserve and need to grow and learn safely, especially during their most critical developmental years. He helped pass the expanded Child Tax Credit and critical investments for Head Start in the House.
• Helping lower taxes and cutting red tape: Gottheimer helped pass four bills out of the House to restore SALT, which would cut property taxes for Jersey business owners and families. He also led the Cut Red Tape Act to eliminate outdated bureaucracy, create jobs, back small businesses, and accelerate economic growth in New Jersey.