FEDERALhearing transcript

Congressional Hearing on COVID-19 Impacts on Small Food Businesses

Original title: HOW COVID-19 IS IMPACTING SMALL BUSINESSES ACROSS THE FOOD SYSTEM

January 1, 2021

COVID-19 small business food supply chain economic impact agriculture retail fisheries brewing

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The Frame

What this does

This hearing gathered testimony to inform federal policy regarding the economic stability of small food-related businesses, which reported significant revenue losses and closure risks during the pandemic.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Small business owners in the food industry

These businesses experienced revenue decreases and faced potential closure due to pandemic-related restrictions.

House Committee on Small Business

The committee members conducted the hearing to gather information for potential legislative action.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2021.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

The House Committee on Small Business held a hearing on September 30, 2020, to examine how the COVID-19 pandemic affected small businesses within the food supply chain. Witnesses from the grocery, fishing, farming, and brewing industries provided testimony on the economic challenges faced by their sectors.

Key Facts

The hearing took place on September 30, 2020, via Webex and in the Rayburn House Office Building.
Three out of four small businesses reported a decrease in revenue since March 2020.
Over half of small businesses expressed concern about being forced to close due to the pandemic.
The hearing focused on the impact of social distancing and stay-at-home orders on the food supply chain.
The committee operated under House Resolution 965, which allowed for hybrid proceedings during the pandemic.
Witnesses represented the grocery, fishing, farming, and craft brewing industries.

Why It Matters

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the purpose of this hearing?

To understand how COVID-19 and related public health measures impacted the financial health and operations of small businesses in the food supply chain.

Who testified at the hearing?

Representatives from the National Grocers Association, National Fisheries Institute, National Farmers Union, and the Ohio Craft Brewers Association.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift100% confidence

Adoption of Hybrid Procedures

The document highlights the formal transition to hybrid congressional proceedings under House Resolution 965 during the pandemic.

House of Representatives

Connected Entities

personKimberly Gorton“CEO of Slade Gorton & Co., testifying for National Fisheries Institute”Map →

personJimmy Wright“President of Wright's Market, testifying for National Grocers Association”Map →

personNydia Velazquez“Chairwoman of the House Committee on Small Business”Map →

personSteve Chabot“Ranking Member of the House Committee on Small Business”Map →

personCollin Castore“Owner of Seventh Son Brewing, President of Ohio Craft Brewers Association”Map →

personRob Larew“President of the National Farmers Union”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance65
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy20
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment10
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz15
Current news / social attention level

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