BALTIMORE, April 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Thursday, April 4, Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the voice in President Biden’s Cabinet for America’s more than 33 million small businesses, will travel to Baltimore, Md., to highlight federal resources available to help businesses withstand the economic impact of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s whole-of-government approach to the recovery process.

Administrator Guzman will first host a closed-press roundtable alongside U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, Congressman Kweisi Mfume, and Mayor Brandon Scott to meet with small business owners affected by the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse and hear the challenges they are facing. Senator Cardin, Rep. Mfume, and Mayor Scott will then join Administrator Guzman for a tour of an SBA Business Recovery Center and media availability. In the afternoon, Administrator Guzman will join a press conference with Governor Wes Moore to provide an update on the SBA’s economic recovery efforts.

In the wake of the bridge collapse, the SBA has made low-interest, long-term Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) available to affected business owners to help them overcome temporary loss of revenue. The SBA also moved swiftly to open two Business Recovery Centers (BRC) on April 1 to assist business owners in completing their disaster loan applications, accept documents for existing applications, and provide status on loan applications.

Thursday, April 4

Tour of Business Recovery Center and Media Availability

WHO:            SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman
                      U.S. Senator Ben Cardin
U.S. Congressman Kweisi Mfume (MD-07)
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott

WHEN:          12:15 p.m. ET. Media arrival by 12:00 p.m. ET.

WHERE:        Baltimore, MD. Location details sent upon RSVP to rebecca.galanti@sba.gov.

Press Conference with Governor Wes Moore

WHO:            SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman
Maryland Governor Wes Moore
Other participants to be announced

WHEN:          3:00 p.m. ET

WHERE:       Maryland Transportation Authority Police Headquarters
4330 Broening Highway
Dundalk, MD 21222

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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

Christine Saah Nazer
U.S. Small Business Administration
202-205-6175
Press_office@sba.gov