Fox Skirts Issue Of RNC Speaker Receiving Millions In Aid For Small Business

Fox Business' Neil Cavuto missed a prime opportunity last night to highlight the millions in federal loans and contracts that RNC speaker Sher Valenzuela received for her small business.

Cavuto instead used the interview to promote the discredited Fox-fueled narrative claiming “We Built It,” which the GOP adopted as its convention theme Tuesday night. 

CAVUTO: A lot of business owners featured here. A lot even in the ads and the public ads that run in this auditorium, as well as the businessmen and women themselves. Very heavy, very heavy. Why is that?

VALENZUELA: Because we speak for America, Neil. I mean if we can't build jobs as businesswomen and families who are struggling to succeed. If we can't show the American people what it takes to build our businesses and share and communicate our experiences to encourage others forward that are having difficulty in this time, then nothing can.

But Valenzuela did not share the full story of what it took to build her business, and Cavuto did not press her for those details. As Media Matters reported last week, Valenzuela's business First State Manufacturing benefitted from more than $2 million in Small Business Administration loans and more than $15 million in federal contracts.

Cavuto did ask her to elaborate on what governments should do to help businesses and “people like you.” Instead of pointing to the government programs that she has previously credited to her success, Valenzuela referred to “best practices” put in place by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie that “oversees the red tape cutting department.”

At previous public appearances, Valenzuela has not only openly acknowledged her acceptance of government aid, but widely credits it to her success and encourages other small business owners to do the same. In a PowerPoint presentation given earlier this year, she advised business owners to “start with the no-cost/low-cost resources that you, the taxpayer, have already paid for.”

She also appeared in a promotional video for the SBA -- titled “The Skinny on SBA Small Business Success” -- where she says, “We are an example of what can happen when good ideas connect with high impact resources like the SBA.” The clip also features Ashley Wolfe, the company's executive director, who explains, “We owe so much of our success to the SBA. From the disaster loan we received right after 9/11, it kept our doors open, even up to the support we recently received to purchase our new facility and all points in between, the SBA have been there for us.”