IARN – Today, the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, which is chaired by U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), hosted a hearing to discuss the challenges facing rural small businesses and the federal support they have received, specifically through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Small Business Administration (SBA). Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), who is the ranking member of the committee, helped lead the hearing, which included testimonies from both Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Grant Menke and First Community Bank President and CEO Verlin “Gus” Barker. In her opening remarks, Ernst said many rural small business owners in Iowa feel left behind by the current administration.
Read more at Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network. (IARN photo)