A former labor lawyer, Linda T. Sánchez represents California’s 38th congressional district – but the first thing her family and friends will tell you is that she’s never stopped “kicking ass for the working class.” Most of all, she is also a proud mom, dog lover, and Dodgers fan.
Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2002, Sánchez is the first Latina to serve on the powerful House Committee on Ways and Means and the House Judiciary Committee. A lifelong progressive, Sánchez has devoted her career to helping working people get ahead: advocating for families, improving America’s education system, and bringing jobs to Southern California.
As a former member of the Small Business Committee in the House of Representatives, I know that small businesses are the backbone of our country. That is why I am working hard in Congress to provide critical financial support to small businesses, by opening the federal contracting system and increasing access to capital to help create new opportunities, grow existing businesses, and boost our economy.
I am proud to partner with local agencies who support entrepreneurs in our community. Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) are one of our nation’s most invaluable resources for entrepreneurs learning how to plan, establish, and scale their small businesses. Through no-cost, in-person consulting and low-cost training, SBDCs are funded in part by annual appropriations and help small businesses with business planning, accessing capital, marketing, and more. Unfortunately, getting the word out about these services remains a persistent challenge. That is why I introduced the Supporting Entrepreneurs and Economic Development (SEED) Act to direct entrepreneurs they denied for a Small Business Administration-backed loan to their nearest SBDC. Those entrepreneurs can receive counseling to improve their odds of approval and strengthen their business plans.
During tax season, small businesses should not be overly burdened with the stress of filing their taxes. That's why I was proud to champion a bill that became law to reduce duplicative filing costs for small businesses looking to offer retirement plans to their employees. This bill would help small businesses provide greater retirement security to more Americans.
Small businesses make receive about one-quarter of federal government contracts, yet make up 99% of all businesses. Despite government goals of awarding contracts to small businesses, the $500 billion federal marketplace remains largely closed. I want to level the playing field, making sure everyone has a fair shot at winning federal contracts.