Northeast Philadelphia Reps. Announce More than $230,000 in Federal Money for the Small Business Development Center at Northeast Philadelphia Community College

Washington, D.C.) – Today, Pennsylvania Representatives Patrick Murphy (D-8th District) and Allyson Schwartz (D-13th District) proudly announced federal funding for a Small Business Development Center in Northeast Philadelphia. The Small Business Development Center will be located at the Northeast Philadelphia campus of the Community College of Philadelphia. It is expected to be an economic engine for Northeast Philadelphia and lower Bucks County, providing training and resources for locally owned small businesses. Reps. Murphy and Schwartz announced that the Development Center would receive $231,000 in federal money. This money was approved by the house with the passage of the Financial Services Appropriations bill in June.

“I am very proud to support the Small Business Development Center. With these resources it will give the economy in Northeast Philadelphia and lower Bucks County a much-needed boost,” said Congressman Patrick Murphy. “Small businesses keep our economy strong and this Center will help those small business owners make the right choices and get the right help to make their businesses a success.”

“This is a great win for Northeast Philadelphia. Small businesses are the lifeblood of our nation’s economy and I am proud to have worked to secure these funds for the Community College of Philadelphia. This Center will be an outstanding asset for the entire region,” said Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz.

Small Business Development Center, Northeast Philadelphia

This project has never received federal funding before and the money will go to the expansion of a Philadelphia regional center for workforce education and economic development in Northeast Philadelphia. Providing the additional space to focus on key skills in demand – from nursing and law enforcement to entrepreneurial business training aligned with local industry needs – will position the Northeast Regional Center as an economic hub for the community and the city.

Reps. Murphy and Schwartz Have a Record of Fighting for Small Businesses

• Recently, both Murphy and Schwartz supported a $4.84 billion small business tax relief plan. This was part of the Iraq Supplemental Appropriations bill and was signed into law by President Bush in June of 2007.
• Schwartz’s signature idea, giving tax breaks to businesses hiring soldiers returning from service in Iraq and Afghanistan, was included as part of the small business tax bill.
• They supported the Small Business Tax Relief Act of 2007 that allows small businesses to invest in new equipment and promote hiring of workers, including disadvantaged workers.
• Murphy and Schwartz voted for the RECOVER Act which would require the Small Business Administration (SBA) to develop response plans for disasters, maintain disaster reserve corps, increase individual disaster loan limits and increase overall responsiveness by the SBA for small businesses across the country. This is especially important to business owners who face the threat of flooding along the Delaware River.
• They also supported the Small Business Fairness in Contracting Act which provides for changes to the overall procurement system to reduce contract bundling, create a fair appeals process, and increase participation of small businesses.
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  For Immediate Release, July 12, 2007
  Contact: Adam Abrams (Murphy), (202) 225-4276
  Rachel Magnuson (Schwartz), (202) 225-6111