{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://davids.house.gov/media/press-releases/davids-visits-merriam-manufacturer-highlight-small-businesses-challenges", "Davids Visits Merriam Manufacturer to Highlight Small Businesses Challenges", "2026-03-12", "2026", "2026-03", "Democrat", "House", "KS", "Sharice Davids", "D000629", "davids.house.gov", "davids", "https://davids.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "MERRIAM, KS \u2013 Today, Representative Sharice Davids visited K.C. Strings, the largest instrument string manufacturer in the state of Kansas, to see the company\u2019s manufacturing operations and hear directly from the owners about their new ventures and the challenges they face due to chaotic federal policies set by the administration.\n\n\u201cSmall businesses like K.C. Strings are part of what makes our communities strong,\u201d said Davids. \u201cBut I\u2019m hearing from more and more Kansas business owners who are worried about rising costs and unpredictable policies coming out of Washington. Reckless tariffs and economic uncertainty make it harder for small manufacturers to plan, hire, and grow. I\u2019ll keep working across the aisle to support small businesses, strengthen our domestic supply chains, and make sure entrepreneurs here in Kansas have a fair shot to succeed.\u201d\n\nWhile Davids previously released an updated report on the state of Kansas\u2019 small business ecosystem that found strong entrepreneurial growth in Kansas\u2019 Third District \u2014 including more than 10,700 new business applications in 2023 \u2014 many small businesses now report they are struggling. Rising costs and reckless tariffs are forcing small businesses to raise prices, delay expansion, and cut jobs.\n\nIn November 2025 alone, businesses with fewer than 50 employees laid off 120,000 workers \u2014 the largest monthly total for small businesses in five years. Recent reports also show half of small business owners have raised prices, one-fifth have delayed expansion plans, and 74 percent are concerned about surviving the next 12 months.\n\n\u201cWe have a unique business here which also happens to be one of the largest of its kind in the Midwest,\u201d said Jim Upton, General Manager, K.C. Strings. \u201cWe're also looking for opportunities to expand our operation, perhaps using 3D printing. We are very proud of what we do here and are glad for Rep. Davids to see what we're up to.\u201d\n\nDuring her time in Congress, Davids has worked across the aisle to support small businesses. As a former member of the House Small Business Committee, she called for strong oversight of pandemic relief programs to prevent fraud and focused on strengthening domestic supply chains to support small- and medium-sized manufacturers. She has also prioritized efforts to reduce excessive paperwork for small businesses and support individual workers, including veterans, women, and people in recovery.\n\nShe has also pushed back on reckless tariffs. She spoke during a U.S. House Agriculture Committee hearing on the trade disruptions Kansas agricultural producers will face due to these tariffs \u2014 a concern echoed by Kansas Farm Bureau President Joe Newland. She also visited a local toy store and manufacturer that are being hit hard by these unstable policies and hosted a press conference on her efforts to push back on tariffs that are raising prices for hardworking families.", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-04T05:30:10Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://davids.house.gov/media/press-releases/davids-visits-merriam-manufacturer-highlight-small-businesses-challenges"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.431433018296957, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}