Thread by @BetoORourke

To ensure this country can live up to its full potential, we must confront the fact that we have an economy that works too well for too few and not at all for too many. At the #BlackPresidentialForum, I announced a plan that does just that.

Read it here:
betoorourke.com/small-business/

Our country has a wealth gap where the median white household is worth 10x that of the median black household. It's unjust, unacceptable & holding every single one of our communities back from reaching its full potential. Small businesses are no exception. #BlackPresidentialForum

Minority and women owned businesses have been the fastest growing businesses across the country for the past decade. These entrepreneurs helped pull our economy out of the Great Recession. They are staples of our communities, country, and economy. #BlackPresidentialForum

But these same entrepreneurs are locked out of the exact resources and capital they need to start their businesses, grow them, and create more jobs. My new plan will unlock half a trillion dollars in opportunity for women and minority owned businesses. #BlackPresidentialForum

The plan will spur the development of 200,000 new women and minority owned small businesses by the end of my second term. #BlackPresidentialForum

We will root out racism and discrimination in the small business lending market so every business owner, no matter where they live or their background, can get that first loan to start their business or that capital investment to hire additional employees. #BlackPresidentialForum

I will triple the federal government’s investment in the Minority Business Development Agency to ensure more entrepreneurs can access mentorship and resources to navigate the challenges of owning a business. #BlackPresidentialForum

Finally, my plan calls for shifting $100 billion in government contracts away from large corporations and to small businesses. Half of that opportunity will go to minority and women owned businesses. #BlackPresidentialForum

In 1999, I started a small business in El Paso that brought dozens of high-wage, high-skilled jobs to the border community. It helps me understand the day-to-day challenges small business owners face -- and those challenges are only amplified for women and communities of color.

In Congress, I voted for legislation to ensure minority & women owned businesses had a seat at the table in the government when it came to cracking down on discrimination and to make it easier for small business owners & entrepreneurs to access capital and navigate the tax code.

I'm committed to continuing this work and to leveraging the full force of the federal government to expand access to capital and root out institutional racism, sexism, and bias in the small business lending market.

Read the full plan here:
betoorourke.com/small-business/