South OC Times

U.S. Representative Young Kim (CA-40) has been honored with the Guardian of Small Business Award by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). The award recognizes her consistent voting record and dedication to policies that support small businesses.

Rep. Kim, who serves on the House Financial Services Committee and was the Ranking Member of the House Small Business Subcommittee on Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Workforce Development in the 117th Congress, emphasized the importance of small businesses in local economies. "Small businesses are essential to our communities, creating jobs and growing our local economies," said Congresswoman Kim. She added that she is committed to supporting entrepreneurs facing challenges such as inflation, supply chain issues, and labor shortages.

Brad Close, NFIB President, stated that the Guardian of Small Business Award is given to Members of Congress who have shown strong support for small business owners. "This Congress, small businesses faced tough economic headwinds... We are proud to recognize lawmakers from the 118th Congress, including Representative Young Kim," said Close.

The NFIB has been advocating for America's small business owners for over 75 years. The Guardian of Small Business Award is reserved for legislators who vote consistently with small business interests on key issues identified by owners. Legislators must vote with small business interests at least 70% of the time during a congressional session to qualify.

Rep. Kim's efforts include addressing organized retail crime through bipartisan legislation aimed at improving federal investigations and information sharing among law enforcement agencies. She also introduced various bills such as the Financial Inclusion in Banking Act and the PPP Extension Act which provided significant financial assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Additional legislative actions by Rep. Kim include efforts to protect small businesses from cyberattacks via the SBA Cyber Awareness Act and ensuring regulatory measures do not harm small enterprises through initiatives like the Reviewing the Expansion of Government (REG) Act.

She has also worked on providing access to financial opportunities for underserved communities and introduced several other bills aimed at streamlining processes for better information collection by government bodies like the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Congresswoman Kim concluded her remarks by reiterating her commitment: "I will always be a voice for small businesses in Congress."