Today, Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) announced he will lead the House Small Business Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations and Regulations as Chair for the 117^th Congress. As an entrepreneur and small business owner himself, Phillips will bring valuable experience and a proven bipartisan record of results to the committee, and he will remain focused on supporting those small businesses most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

As Chair of the Subcommittee on Investigations, Oversight, and Regulations, equitable access to relief and responsible fiscal stewardship will be priorities for Rep. Phillips in the coming year. In the 116^th Congress, Phillips authored the TRUTH Act, a bill to demand transparency from SBA and ensure that relief dollars go to Main Street, not Wall Street. Rep. Phillips will continue that mission from his position on Committee leadership.

“Small businesses – from local burger joints to barbershops – are the glue that hold our communities together and the engines of our economy, and they’re in crisis. We must do everything in our power to help them weather the storm so that they can lead the economic recovery once we are through this pandemic. I’ll have the voices of Minnesota’s small business owners and entrepreneurs in mind as we ensure federal funds are accessible and equitably distributed and as we lay the groundwork for a prosperous future for our main street businesses,” said Phillips.

Phillips will also serve on the Subcommittee on Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Workforce Development, where he looks forward to working with the many emerging businesses and start-ups based in Minnesota’s Third District.

After hearing from struggling constituents last spring, Phillips authored the bipartisan Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Flexibility Act, a landmark law that helped thousands of Minnesotan small businesses access much-needed PPP funds and avoid further closures and layoffs. The PPPFA was endorsed by Hospitality Minnesota, Small Business Roundtable, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Minnesota’s Third Congressional District has more small businesses – generating more in payroll at $11.2 billion annually – than any other District in the state, according to the Small Business Administration. Rep. Phillips is eager to get to work on their behalf. 

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