WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons will host a series of “Main Street” meetings with small business owners and community leaders this week to listen to their concerns about the economy and to get their thoughts on growing businesses and creating jobs. 

“Small businesses are the backbones of communities up and down Delaware,” Senator Coons said.  “Whether by helping access small business loans or through common-sense tax relief, we must do all we can to support the needs of small business owners.  Given the right tools, small businesses and their ability to create jobs will provide the catalyst that puts some spark back into the economy.  I talk with small business owners just about every day, but these ‘Main Street’ meetings will facilitate a more dynamic group discussion that I hope will generate new ideas that we can apply in Washington to help create jobs for Delawareans and revive the economy.”

Three “Main Street” meetings have been scheduled before the Senate reconvenes this month:

Tuesday, January 10 at 9:00 a.m.

Delaware City

Location: Delaware City Town Hall, 407 Clinton Street Delaware City, DE  19706

Tuesday, January 10 at 2:00 p.m.

New Castle City

Location: New Castle City Library, 424 Delaware Street, New Castle, DE 19720

Wednesday, January 11 at 9:15 a.m.

Dover Small Business Walking Tour

Location: Begin at 101 West Loockerman Street, Suite 1A, Dover, DE 19904

Participants at each of the meetings are being invited by Senator Coons’ office and local organizations. All three are open to press.

Since taking office, Senator Coons has hosted three job fairs that combined have attracted more than 4,900 job seekers and well over a hundred employers. 

“Our economic recovery is directly tied to levels of employment in our communities,” Senator Coons said.  “We must ensure that we are doing everything we can to help out-of-work Delawareans have opportunities to get back to work and that those who are employed are able to keep their jobs.”

In Washington, Senator Coons and Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) introduced the bipartisan American Growth, Recovery, Empowerment and Entrepreneurship Act, also known as the AGREE Act, to support job creation, help businesses grow and help revive America’s economy.  Senator Coons has also introduced a series of bills designed to stimulate job creation, including the Job Creation Through Innovation Act, which is designed to jumpstart domestic manufacturing and create conditions to help businesses grow and create high-quality, high-paying middle-class jobs.  The Job Creation Through Innovation Act would expand, simplify and make permanent the Research & Development Tax Credit, create a new Small Business Innovation Tax Credit and a new Domestic Manufacturing Tax Credit, extend the 1603 Treasury Grants Program, and invest in the Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit. 

 

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