Federal Priorities as Congress Gets Back to Work

by Maria S. Salinas

The Chamber was in Washington, D.C. this week, meeting with members of California’s congressional delegation. It was an opportunity to discuss our federal priorities and to speak about our competitiveness report, California’s Competitiveness: A Regional Approach. The report continues to be well received with policymakers.

It was a pivotal moment to be in our nation's capital, as the House of Representatives, after 22 days, finally settled on a Speaker of the House, Representative Mike Johnson from the 4th District of Louisiana. Our hope is that Congressional leaders will come together to focus on the business of running the country.

Two key pieces of federal legislation requiring Congress to act are the Small Business Administration (SBA) reauthorization and the Farm Bill. The SBA reauthorization would modernize the SBA by requiring Congress to critically review and provide more resources for small businesses. We understand how critical the SBA is to the work we do to support small businesses.

The 2023 Farm Bill is integral to the California economy. Not only does the bill support food assistance programs and sets farm policy, but it’s also a major contributor to the national economy. California’s $51.1 billion agricultural industry makes it the nation’s largest agricultural producer and exporter.

Needless to say, we have a great interest in ensuring that the people’s business is being addressed in Congress. With a looming government shutdown on November 17, we need Congress to get back to work for the people of this great country.