In Honor of National Black Business Month, Gallego Hosts Roundtable with Arizona Black Business Leaders
PHOENIX, AZ – As National Black Business Month ends, Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-03) hosted a roundtable with Arizona Black business leaders. Participants included representatives from the Black Chamber of Arizona, Local First Arizona’s We Rise Program, Rehoboth Community Development Corporation, and Black entrepreneurs from a variety of businesses.
“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and, for many, owning their own business is the key to their American dream. That’s especially true for Arizona’s Black business owners, who often have to work to overcome systemic barriers that keep them achieving that dream,” said Rep. Gallego. “It was great to hear from Arizona’s Black business leaders today, and I look forward to taking what I learned back to D.C. where I’m working to expand access to capital and ensure the federal government is meeting the needs of minority business owners.”
To support entrepreneurs of color in Arizona, Gallego secured over $200,000 for Rehoboth CDC’s Training Initiative to Mentor Entrepreneurs (TIME) in the 2023 federal spending package. TIME serves microenterprises through mentorship, business courses, and help accessing capital.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Gallego fought to ensure minority-owned and other disadvantaged small business were not overlooked in federal relief efforts. This included successfully pushing for a set aside in the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), which serve communities of color and under-banked communities.
When gas prices reached record highs in 2022, Gallego urged the IRS to increase the mileage deduction rate to offset the increase in costs for small business owners and independent contractors who drive for work. The IRS raised the rate just a few weeks later.