Rick Scott says ‘racism’ behind Kamala Harris proposal for biz loans for Black men

Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris is taking heat from a Florida Senator on the ballot this year, as he accuses her of “racism.”

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, during an interview on the “Hugh Hewitt Show,” made the accusation when asked about Harris’ Opportunity Agenda for Black Men. That plan includes calls to offer “1 million loans that are fully forgivable of up to $20,000 to Black entrepreneurs and others who have historically faced barriers to starting a new business or growing an existing business, in partnership with trusted organizations like mission-driven lenders and banks with a proven commitment to their communities.”

“I think that’s called racism,” Scott said. He then offered a combination of his personal narrative and advocacy of a race-neutral approach to economic incentives, noting he grew up in public housing and that his job lets him provide a “chance for you to live your dream” as he did in going into business decades ago.

Harris proposes a “new partnership between the Small Business Administration and trusted partners on the ground to provide loans that are forgivable of up to $20,000 to entrepreneurs who have a good idea but don’t have the resources, connections, or access to capital to get their business off the ground, as well as entrepreneurs locating in underserved communities.”

The VP’s Office itemizes various ways that capital can be deployed.

The money “can help entrepreneurs rent office space and industry-standard software to launch a cybersecurity company, pay for permitting fees and purchase a van for a catering business, set up a studio and buy advertising for a new architectural company, buy professional hairstyling equipment and chair space for a barber shop, buy lawn mowers and tools for a landscaper, and more.”