RUSH TRANSCRIPT Welcome back ░░░░░░░░ The U S chamber ░░░░░░░░ commerce releasing its small ░░░░░░░░ report for the third ░░░░░░░░ highlighting a ton of ░░░░░░░░ challenges facing main street ░░░░░░░░ now It s all ░░░░░░░░ usual suspects supply chain ░░░░░░░░ hiring issues inflation Joining ░░░░░░░░ is Neil Bradley for ░░░░░░░░ U S chamber it ░░░░░░░░ godod to have you ░░░░░░░░ didn t even state ░░░░░░░░ obvious which is there ░░░░░░░░ a pandemic that saw ░░░░░░░░ big guys especially retailers ░░░░░░░░ probably huge market share ░░░░░░░░ the expense of smaller ░░░░░░░░ restaurants retailer you name ░░░░░░░░ yes there was a ░░░░░░░░ of small business aid ░░░░░░░░ how much has the ░░░░░░░░ changed Thanks for having ░░░░░░░░ Kelly it s changed ░░░░░░░░ a bit 55 of ░░░░░░░░ businesses in our most ░░░░░░░░ survey this quarterly survey ░░░░░░░░ that their business conditions ░░░░░░░░ good two thirds have ░░░░░░░░ in their revenue And ░░░░░░░░ think their revenue s ░░░░░░░░ to grow over the ░░░░░░░░ year those are new ░░░░░░░░ since the beginning of ░░░░░░░░ pandemic So in many ░░░░░░░░ we recovered But optimism ░░░░░░░░ beginning to slow and ░░░░░░░░ s what worries us ░░░░░░░░ most and frankly all ░░░░░░░░ those issues you just ░░░░░░░░ work force supply chain ░░░░░░░░ are all beginning to ░░░░░░░░ the confidence that small ░░░░░░░░ have in the future ░░░░░░░░ are they dealing with ░░░░░░░░ market constraints whether it ░░░░░░░░ trying to find people ░░░░░░░░ the cost of hiring ░░░░░░░░ s the biggest problems ░░░░░░░░ how are they going ░░░░░░░░ be resolved 50 the ░░░░░░░░ recent survey report they ░░░░░░░░ having difficulty filling their ░░░░░░░░ jobs So in some ░░░░░░░░ they re actually pulling ░░░░░░░░ hours and pulling back ░░░░░░░░ that they would otherwise ░░░░░░░░ so when we talk ░░░░░░░░ retailers and restaurant operators ░░░░░░░░ re not fully reopened ░░░░░░░░ re either closing a ░░░░░░░░ service or a dinner ░░░░░░░░ They re turning down ░░░░░░░░ if they re in ░░░░░░░░ construction industry simply because ░░░░░░░░ don t have the ░░░░░░░░ to meet the needs ░░░░░░░░ consumers have so that ░░░░░░░░ incredibly difficult for them ░░░░░░░░ it comes to supply ░░░░░░░░ small employers don t ░░░░░░░░ a lot of options ░░░░░░░░ re simply struggling through ░░░░░░░░ what the supply chain ░░░░░░░░ provide That s one ░░░░░░░░ the bigger difficulties even ░░░░░░░░ today than hiring for ░░░░░░░░ businesses on main street ░░░░░░░░ haven t talked about ░░░░░░░░ in a while what ░░░░░░░░ your postmortem be on ░░░░░░░░ whole program Well for ░░░░░░░░ brand new program that ░░░░░░░░ an experiment that had ░░░░░░░░ been tried before I ░░░░░░░░ you have to give ░░░░░░░░ an unqualified success Of ░░░░░░░░ there were bumps in ░░░░░░░░ road but compared to ░░░░░░░░ to say the aid ░░░░░░░░ to individuals to help ░░░░░░░░ back rent payments That ░░░░░░░░ hasn t been able ░░░░░░░░ get out the door ░░░░░░░░ government has struggled to ░░░░░░░░ it through state and ░░░░░░░░ governments And it s ░░░░░░░░ by all accounts pretty ░░░░░░░░ a disaster compare to ░░░░░░░░ ppp where we rescued ░░░░░░░░ of businesses literally on ░░░░░░░░ dimebecause we brought the ░░░░░░░░ sector into it it ░░░░░░░░ not just a government ░░░░░░░░ when it comes to ░░░░░░░░ It was what banks ░░░░░░░░ local community lending institutions ░░░░░░░░ to help get that ░░░░░░░░ in the hands of ░░░░░░░░ on main street So ░░░░░░░░ guess my final question ░░░░░░░░ be if we ve ░░░░░░░░ past the need for ░░░░░░░░ help in the pandemic ░░░░░░░░ we still have a ░░░░░░░░ of pandemic effects delta ░░░░░░░░ going around mask issues ░░░░░░░░ issues finding workers figuring ░░░░░░░░ how to stay open ░░░░░░░░ to make that transition ░░░░░░░░ virtual what that means ░░░░░░░░ showing up to work ░░░░░░░░ not What would be ░░░░░░░░ best way to support ░░░░░░░░ vibrant small new business ░░░░░░░░ small business community in ░░░░░░░░ U S From here ░░░░░░░░ and foremost it s ░░░░░░░░ what you said We ░░░░░░░░ to beat Covid More ░░░░░░░░ means a quicker end ░░░░░░░░ this pandemic the more ░░░░░░░░ we get vaccinated the ░░░░░░░░ we can be fully ░░░░░░░░ we need the federal ░░░░░░░░ to help in some ░░░░░░░░ helping unlock the supply ░░░░░░░░ disruptions dealing with these ░░░░░░░░ in ways they can ░░░░░░░░ do We also need ░░░░░░░░ when it comes to ░░░░░░░░ work force That means ░░░░░░░░ people off the sidelines ░░░░░░░░ into the job market ░░░░░░░░ job training programs it ░░░░░░░░ means increases in legal ░░░░░░░░ And only our government ░░░░░░░░ help effectuate that At ░░░░░░░░ same time it s ░░░░░░░░ they don t do ░░░░░░░░ harm this 3 5 ░░░░░░░░ plus tax and spending ░░░░░░░░ is only going to ░░░░░░░░ the inflationary measures faced ░░░░░░░░ main street multiple times ░░░░░░░░ when we think about ░░░░░░░░ old adage the positions ░░░░░░░░ do no harm First ░░░░░░░░ can do no harm ░░░░░░░░ it comes to this ░░░░░░░░ package Again unlocking some ░░░░░░░░ these bottlenecks when it ░░░░░░░░ to the work force ░░░░░░░░ supply chain That is ░░░░░░░░ hornets nest of political ░░░░░░░░ to deal with Thank ░░░░░░░░ very much for joining ░░░░░░░░ to talk about it ░░░░░░░░ Neil Bradley with the ░░░░░░░░ S Chamber of commerce ░░░░░░░░ are typically viewed as ░░░░░░░░ safe, tax free investment