InsiderAdvantage participated in a webinar last week with Georgia 9th District Congressman Doug Collins, a veteran who serves on the Judiciary Committee, and has – along with his colleagues – had to make some pretty tough decisions lately.
“We passed almost $3 trillion in less than 14 days. Three trillion,” he emphasized on a “Get Business Back to Work” webinar he hosted this week, alongside the Metro Atlanta Business Association. “That’s actually two non-discretionary budgets, which pass every year in Congress. We approved more money than we would in a normal budget cycle, and we haven’t completed the budget for this year.”
Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is working to modify elements of the Emergency Small Business Lending Program. If all 100 Senators approve, it could pass this week. Small business owners are also pressuring lawmakers to make changes to the paycheck protection program.
“In addition to these challenges, September 30 is approaching, and we have to approve the regular spending of Congress, which could be about $1.7 to $1.8 trillion,” Collins adds.
“We make an effort to hear from our constituents on a regular basis and pass along their feedback to other leaders,” he adds. “A lot of these things did not even exist, such as passing an almost $3 trillion budget. The businesses owners and managers we’ve heard from are worried about what’s forgivable – and what’s not forgivable. We remind them if the loan is not extended out in the original time frame, it can be returned and loaned to other users.”
Collins noted it has taken as few as 10 to 15 days to get money to some businesses. There were some concerns about getting loans to businesses as quickly as possible to keep them afloat. In addition to helping businesses, another priority included keeping as many citizens as possible employed.
“And by the way, we’ve not even done the budget for this year, as those bills are still left for next year have not been paid yet,” he added.
With September 30 approaching, Collins and his colleagues have to do the regular budget work expected of Congress, which is expected to total about $1.7 to $1.8 trillion.
“We do as much listening as possible, and my team members keep me updated on the feedback we get,” Collins said. “Members of our team are asking, “how do we explain this to our constituents? As recently as a few months ago, these issues did not even exist.”
Organizations such as the Metro Atlanta Business Association are working overtime to help businesses, executives, and entrepreneurs succeed throughout metro Atlanta with business development, marketing, publicity, and other tools to help them succeed.
“We help them with prospects, clients and sales leads,” notes Glen Christian, President, COO and co-founder of the organization. Other services include Programs on Business Development, Sales, Digital Marketing, IT, Social Media, Lead Generation, Employee Development, Branding, and Profitability. Christian is an Atlanta native, and his experience includes work for the Georgia Department of Economic development.
