London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Nov 14, 2025

Chamber of Commerce CEO to Congress: Expand SBA funding by Monday or everyone will 'get blame'

Chamber of Commerce CEO to Congress: Expand SBA funding by Monday or everyone will 'get blame'

"I think where we have to focus right now is let's take care of the little guys. They're critical to this economy”: U.S. Chamber of Commerce CEO Tom Donohue
Lawmakers must put politics to the side and agree on a plan to expand the small business rescue loan program by Monday, U.S. Chamber of Commerce CEO Tom Donohue told media on Friday.

“We all understand it. We’re coming up on an election,” he said on “Closing Bell.” “If they don’t, nobody’s going to get credit and everybody’s going to get blame.”

Congressional Democrats and the Trump administration will spend the weekend negotiating another emergency funding bill intended to resume the Paycheck Protection Program, the $349 billion small business loan program that maxed out on Thursday.

The Small Business Administration, which oversees the system facilitated by banks, stopped receiving loan and lender applications for the program after it reached the appropriated limit.

“They’re doing a good job under a difficult circumstance, but we’re out of money,” Donohue said, “and it’s time to put some more in and, by the way, it’s not the last time we’re going to have to do it.”

The talks follow failed efforts by Senate Republicans last week to advance a $250 billion extension of PPP and later Democrats to push through a $250 billion measure for small businesses, hospitals and other priorities.

Small businesses are the backbone of the U.S. economy, which is in the midst of a severe downturn.

“I think where we have to focus right now is let’s take care of the little guys. They’re critical to this economy,” Donohue said.

“Don’t think one party is going to do better than another on this.”

The new legislation would be the fourth in a series of emergency spending bills, including the historic $2.2 trillion CARES Act, passed by lawmakers since March. Officials have moved quickly to blunt the economic damage of the global coronavirus pandemic and subsequent shutdown orders across the United States, which nearly depleted consumer spending and business revenues in multiple industries.

Countless restaurants, retail stores, barber shops and other local businesses have closed their doors and tens of millions of individuals have filed unemployment claims in recent weeks due to coronavirus fears. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce found in a survey that a majority of small businesses, 54%, have shut down or plan to shut down temporarily within two weeks.

“What most people lose sight of is many, many of those small companies work as subs and assistants to the big companies, so there’s a very tight relationship,” Donohue said.

President Donald Trump signed the massive stimulus package, which directed billions in spending toward families, workers and businesses, in late March in a rare bipartisan moment in Washington.

With the small business loan commitments at their limit, the demand for funds remains high as companies seek to keep employees on their payrolls. It is not certain how many entities have received money.

Donohue, whose lobbying group represents about 400,000 small businesses, said about 1.5 million companies have received financing. There are about 30 million small enterprises in the U.S. and many won’t be able to get their hands on any money, he said.

“Now we’re looking at what we’re trying to do to finance in a way that these smaller companies, particularly the substantive ones, can hold on to their employees until we can move through to a point where the economy is back percolating,” he said.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce tends to support Republican initiatives, though it also has a history of supporting Democratic priorities.

“Nobody should try and take credit, because everybody is going to get the blame, both parties, if we don’t do it,” Donohue said.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Upholds Firm Rules on Stablecoins to Shield Financial System
Brussels Divided as UK-EU Reset Stalls Over Budget Access
Prince Harry’s Remembrance Day Essay Expresses Strong Regret at Leaving Britain
UK Unemployment Hits 5% as Wage Growth Slows, Paving Way for Bank of England Rate Cut
Starmer Warns of Resurgent Racism in UK Politics as He Vows Child-Poverty Reforms
UK Grocery Inflation Slows to 4.7% as Supermarkets Launch Pre-Christmas Promotions
UK Government Backs the BBC amid Editing Scandal and Trump Threat of Legal Action
UK Assessment Mis-Estimated Fallout From Palestine Action Ban, Records Reveal
UK Halts Intelligence Sharing with US Amid Lethal Boat-Strike Concerns
King Charles III Leads Britain in Remembrance Sunday Tribute to War Dead
UK Retail Sales Growth Slows as Households Hold Back Ahead of Black Friday and Budget
Shell Pulls Out of Two UK Floating Wind Projects Amid Renewables Retreat
Viagogo Hit With £15 Million Tax Bill After HMRC Transfer-Pricing Inquiry
Jaguar Land Rover Cyberattack Pinches UK GDP, Bank of England Says
UK and Germany Sound Alarm on Russian-Satellite Threat to Critical Infrastructure
Former Prince Andrew Faces U.S. Congressional Request for Testimony Amid Brexit of Royal Title
BBC Director-General Tim Davie and News CEO Deborah Turness Resign Amid Editing Controversy
Tom Cruise Arrives by Helicopter at UK Scientology Fundraiser Amid Local Protests
Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson Face Fresh UK Probes Amid Royal Fallout
Mothers Link Teen Suicides to AI Chatbots in Growing Legal Battle
UK Government to Mirror Denmark’s Tough Immigration Framework in Major Policy Shift
UK Government Turns to Denmark-Style Immigration Reforms to Overhaul Border Rules
UK Chancellor Warned Against Cutting Insulation Funding as Budget Looms
UK Tenant Complaints Hit Record Levels as Rental Sector Faces Mounting Pressure
Apple to Pay Google About One Billion Dollars Annually for Gemini AI to Power Next-Generation Siri
UK Signals Major Shift as Nuclear Arms Race Looms
BBC’s « Celebrity Traitors UK » Finale Breaks Records with 11.1 Million Viewers
UK Spy Case Collapse Highlights Implications for UK-Taiwan Strategic Alignment
On the Road to the Oscars? Meghan Markle to Star in a New Film
A Vote Worth a Trillion Dollars: Elon Musk’s Defining Day
AI Researchers Claim Human-Level General Intelligence Is Already Here
President Donald Trump Challenges Nigeria with Military Options Over Alleged Christian Killings
Nancy Pelosi Finally Announces She Will Not Seek Re-Election, Signalling End of Long Congressional Career
UK Pre-Budget Blues and Rate-Cut Concerns Pile Pressure on Pound
ITV Warns of Nine-Per-Cent Drop in Q4 Advertising Revenue Amid Budget Uncertainty
National Grid Posts Slightly Stronger-Than-Expected Half-Year Profit as Regulatory Investments Drive Growth
UK Business Lobby Urges Reeves to Break Tax Pledges and Build Fiscal Headroom
UK to Launch Consultation on Stablecoin Regulation on November 10
UK Savers Rush to Withdraw Pension Cash Ahead of Budget Amid Tax-Change Fears
Massive Spoilers Emerge from MAFS UK 2025: Couple Swaps, Dating App Leaks and Reunion Bombshells
Kurdish-led Crime Network Operates UK Mini-Marts to Exploit Migrants and Sell Illicit Goods
UK Income Tax Hike Could Trigger £1 Billion Cut to Scotland’s Budget, Warns Finance Secretary
Tommy Robinson Acquitted of Terror-related Charge After Phone PIN Dispute
Boris Johnson Condemns Western Support for Hamas at Jewish Community Conference
HII Welcomes UK’s Westley Group to Strengthen AUKUS Submarine Supply Chain
Tragedy in Serbia: Coach Mladen Žižović Collapses During Match and Dies at 44
Diplo Says He Dated Katy Perry — and Justin Trudeau
Dick Cheney, Former U.S. Vice President, Dies at 84
Trump Calls Title Removal of Andrew ‘Tragic Situation’ Amid Royal Fallout
UK Bonds Rally as Chancellor Reeves Briefs Markets Ahead of November Budget
×