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Quigley Celebrates Small Business Week at Unabridged Bookstore in Chicago

May 5, 2017

CHICAGO — Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05), a member of theNew Democrat Coalition, visited Unabridged Bookstore in the Lakeview neighborhood to mark National Small Business Week. Rep. Quigley met with the store's owners and staff to learn more about how they are empowering employees, contributing to the community, and growing the local economy.

"Small businesses are vital to the fabric of our economy, serving as a fundamental driver for both job creation and community engagement," said Rep. Quigley. "Unabridged Bookstore has become an indispensable and impactful staple in the Lakeview neighborhood over the past 36 years, bringing Chicagoans together through a love of literature and community. This stems in large part from their commitment to their employees – from paying a livable wage to offering paid sick leave and reliable health care coverage. I appreciate the opportunity to learn more about their business, which serves as a prime example that supporting employees' needs and financial success are not mutually exclusive. I look forward to continuing my work in Congress to fight on behalf of small businesses across the country."

"We feel it's important to remember that when you shop or utilize locally owned small businesses the money you spend stays in your community," said Unabridged owners Ed Devereux and Patrick Garnett. "At Unabridged Bookstore we have always worked to provide our employees with living wages and exceptional benefits, including full health insurance. We support a national minimum wage of $15/hour and access to affordable health insurance. We currently utilize the ACA marketplace for the only affordable insurance available. Without it, we would struggle to provide health insurance to our employees."

Rep. Quigley joined owners Ed Devereux and Patrick Garnett for a tour of the store and to learn more about its unique character and history in the neighborhood. During the visit, they discussed ways small businesses can support their employees, while remaining financially stable and competitive in the market. Topics included raising the minimum wage, providing paid sick and family leave, and how the Affordable Care Act has helped small business owners and their staff.

For 36 years, Unabridged Bookstore has served as an iconic, go-to-bookstore for Chicago communities for their selections of fiction, poetry, and LGBT literature.

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Small Business Week recognizes the critical contributions of America's entrepreneurs and small business owners. More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, and they create about two out of every three new jobs in the U.S. each year. Every day, they're working to grow small businesses, create 21st century jobs, drive innovation, and increase America's global competitiveness.

Rep. Quigley is a member of the New Democrat Coalition, a group of congressional lawmakers that promotes policies that harness American ingenuity, innovation and entrepreneurship to grow our economy. He was a supporter of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act and cosponsored an original part of this legislation that focused on helping businesses raise the capital needed to expand their operations and create more good-paying jobs. This legislation was signed into law by President Obama in April 2012. Last year, Rep. Quigley celebrated "Start-Up Day Across America" by meeting with leaders at Chicago- based start-ups Reverb and Curiosity, two prime examples of small business success.