Survey: 80% of Small Businesses Want Economic Relief Prioritized Over SCOTUS Nomination

WASHINGTON – A national survey by the Small Business for America’s Future coalition found that roughly 8 in ten respondents identified something other than the Supreme Court nomination when asked about Congressional priorities.

The survey, conducted from Oct. 2 through Oct. 5, took input from 1,511 small business owners in SBAF’s national network, according to a coalition release. Fifteen percent of respondents said their businesses would only last through October without added federal aid, while 34% said their business would only survive until the end of 2020 without aid.

Fifty-two percent of the survey’s respondents indicated they want Congress to prioritize passing a new economic stimulus package, while 27% said they want Congress to prioritize election security, according to the survey’s key findings. Only 14% of respondents identified the pending Supreme Court vacancy as their top priority for Congress.

When questioned about how long their business would survive without another bout of federal assistance, roughly 14% said they could make it through June 2021 and about 36% said they could last through the end of 2021. 

Twenty-eight percent of the survey’s 1511 respondents indicated they are facing bankruptcy due to the prolonged impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic, according to SBAF. Twenty-nine percent of respondents have had to consider permanently closing their business.

Further, 65% of respondents said they were “concerned” with the 2020 election’s integrity, and 66% of those respondents said an “unclear” result would have distressing consequences for the country, according to the survey’s published results. A staggering 98% of the surveyed small business owners said they plan to vote in the election.