Rep. Peter Welch will propose a new Tropical Storm Irene relief program at 11 a.m. this morning at the Burlington International Airport.
In meetings with small business owners impacted by Irene, Welch heard one recurring theme about federal disaster relief programs - they did not meet the needs of many small businesses.
Drawing lessons from that feedback, Welch will propose the new program, intended to meet the needs of small businesses affected by natural disasters.
Welch will be joined by Skip Hoblin, the owner of Snowfire Auto in Waterbury, which sustained damage from Irene, and others.
In April, Welch began a series of visits to small businesses to hear how disaster relief programs helped or failed them in the aftermath of Irene.