Missouri small businesses urge Congress to quickly pass covid funding

January 29, 2021

Missouri’s Congressional Delegation 

Washington D.C. 

Dear Senators and Representatives,

As small business owners across Missouri, we are urging you to support passing legislation immediately that will provide financial assistance to businesses struggling during the pandemic, fund necessary testing infrastructure, and boost the production and distribution of personal protective equipment (PPE).

Our state’s economy is in crisis, and more people are dying from COVID-19 every day. 

Many small businesses face a continued slump in revenue, and many are hanging on by a thread. As the virus rages on, more restrictions may be necessary to curb the spread of the virus, and businesses need financial assistance to weather the storm. 

Economists have made clear that in the long term, the only way to save lives and fully repair the economy is to get the virus under control.

Health experts agree that widespread testing is one of the most effective ways to reign in the virus, but our state is falling far short of the testing levels we’d need to effectively suppress the virus. According to the Brown University School of Public Health and Harvard Global Health Institute, Missouri needs to do 20 times more testing than it’s doing now. Federal assistance to states for purchasing testing supplies and coordinating testing infrastructure is key to hitting the appropriate testing levels as quickly as possible. 

Masks, gloves, and other kinds of PPE are still in short supply, and we know wearing masks is one of the most effective ways to slow transmission of the virus. These shortages could get worse as the virus spreads across the country. We need the federal government to boost the production of PPE through the Defense Production Act, and to coordinate distribution of those materials in a transparent way.

For the sake of our lives and our livelihoods, please support passing legislation immediately that will: 

• Provide financial assistance to small businesses to bolster their current standing and allow them to weather any future virus related restrictions;

• Invest at least $50 billion for producing COVID19 tests and relevant testing infrastructure. That additional funding, plus the resources provided in the last covid package, will give the level of support public health experts deem necessary for a robust testing response;

• Provide necessary funding to boost PPE production through the Defense Production Act, and establish a system for transparent distribution of those materials.

Without swift action, more Missouri businesses will close their doors for good, and more lives will be lost unnecessarily to this deadly virus. 

Sincerely, 

Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan St. Louis, Karlos Ramirez, St. Louis, MO

Greater Clinton-Area Chamber of Commerce, David Lee, Clinton, MO

Alpine Shop, Ltd., Russell Hollenbeck, Kirkwood, Chesterfield, Columbia, MO

Coming Home CoMo LLC, Jean Gruenewald, Columbia, MO

The Mud Room, Courtney Hawk, Columbia, MO

Archie’s Italian Eatery, Archie Donoho, Springfield, MO

Papa’s Cat Cafe, MacKenzie Everett-Kennedy, Columbia, MO

Cafe Cusco, Claire Gidman, Springfield, MO

Mary Staiffer, Tallulahs, Columbia, MO

Skylark Bookshop, Alex George, Columbia, MO

Break CoMo, Jon Westhoff, Columbia, MO

AKKA Karate USA – Westport, Ritu Nanos, Kansas City, MO

Happy Chick Photography, Christy Lonergan, Kansas City, MO

Gailey’s Breakfast Cafe, Ethan Edwards, Springfield, MO

Ça Va, Sarah Hogan, Kansas City, MO

Morning Day Cafe, John Barchers, Nixa, MO

Smitty’s Mid-West Boxing Gym, Melanie Smith, Springfield, MO

Main Squeeze Natural Foods Cafe, Leigh Lockhart, Columbia, MO

WildysWorld!, Stacy Self, Columbia, MO

Favtrip, Babir Sultan, Kansas City, MO

Char Bar, Cory Puckett, Kansas City, MO

Beer Kitchen, Cory Pucket, Kansas City, MO

Mickey’s Hideaway, Core Pucket, Kansas City, MO

Picture That Media, Peter Myles, Columbia, MO

VMC Creative Designs, Velva Cole, LLC, St. Louis, MO

C’s Mowing Service, Chris Brown, Columbia, MO

Cameo Salon, Kasi Bedell, Springfield, MO

JobFinders, Anne Williams, Columbia, MO

MAB Environmental and Construction, Caravontate Brown, St. Louis, MO

Prestige Clean Services, Edwin Maina, St. Louis, MO

Synergy Construction Group, LLC, Ronald Moore, St. Louis, MO

Gateway Construction Services, Inc., Grant Agbo, St. Louis, MO

SHR Builders, LLC., Robert Henderson, St. Louis, MO

The Marshall Partnership, Jolease Marshall, St. Louis, MO

Gaines Wrecking Co, Charles Gaines, St. Louis, MO

B & B Waterproofing LLC., Daewifa Wifa, Florissant, MO

HTC Maintenance and Cleaning LLC, Nikita Lee, Florissant, MO

The Fletcher Company LLC, Theodore Fletcher, St. Louis, MO

TAI-CHI Consulting, Bing Dempewolf, St. Louis, MO

Happy Doggy Treats, LLC, Keith Turner, St. Louis, MO

Cross Rhodes Pring & Technologies, Elmer Rhodes, St. Louis, MO

The Design Loft Company, Maureen Kelly, St. Louis, MO

Trends in Tile, Joel Tully, Bridgeton, MO

Bolden Construction Services, Gerry Bolden, St. Louis, MO

BEST Transportation, Kim Dolniak, St. Louis, MO

St. Louis County Cab & Yellow Taxi, Kim Dolniak, St. Louis, MO

Town & Country Bridal, Debbie Rudawsky, St. Louis, MO

G & N Service, Debbie Rudawsky, St. Louis, MO

T. A. B. Company, Inc., Annetta Vickers, St. Louis, MO

Prism Technical Management, Randy Crump, St. Louis MO

Structural Engineering Practice, LLC, Kingsley Chukwuanu, St. Louis, MO

Allure Flea Market, Jamie Bumgarner, Springfield, MO

The Hibiscus Jerk Hut, Jamie Bumgarner, Springfield, MO

Cut and Trim, Stanley Cooper, St. Louis, MO

Range Free Bakery, Anna Meyer, Columbia, MO

Panda Translations, Yanping and Tricia Gu, St. Louis, MO

Styles Clothing Co., George Penton, Florissant, MO

Hearts On My Sleeve LLC, Kirra Penton, Florissant, MO

Loudbank Garden Supplies, Andre Burgess, St. Louis, MO

LOUDBANK LLC, Andre Burgess, St. Louis, MO

P S Employment LLC, Karen Poole, St. Ann, MO

Barry’s Sewer & Drain, Barry Cosey, St. Louis, MO

Lady Bea’s Gourmet Sweets, Brenda Matthews, Florissant, MO

T. I. E Consulting, LLC, Cheryl Stoddard, Clayton, MO

St. Louis Live Entertainment, Alex Sampson, St. Louis, MO

Gold Champion Realty LLC, Alex Sampson, St. Louis, MO

Reign Restaurants LLC, Alex Sampson, St. Louis, MO

D&R Building Group, Leonard Adewunmi, St. Louis, MO

Servco, Christy Schlafly, St. Louis, MO

STL Foodworks, Charlie Schlafly, St. Louis, MO

Freddie Lee’s Gourmet Sauces, Deborah James, St. Louis, MO

Dr. Vanilla LLC, Krishna Bala, Fenton, MO

DogMaster, Van Hawxby, Columbia, MO

Earthbound Beer, Stuart Keating, St. Louis, MO