WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — Jobs, unemployment and local business. Those are the main reasons for U.S. Senator Ted Cruz’s visit to Wichita Falls.

Cruz says his number one priority is to provide jobs for the state. With more taxes coming from Washington, he says he understands the plight of local business owners during the pandemic and wanted to hear from them.

“Folks here are concerned about the challenges to small businesses, the challenges to jobs,” Cruz said.

Cruz says local businesses make up two-thirds of jobs in Texas. Because the pandemic has laid off millions of workers, Cruz is going around the state to hear from local business owners and tell them what’s to come next.

“We’re seeing people wake up all across the country and I think it is leading to a revival, a new awakening where people wanna get back to just common sense conservative policies. Low taxes, low regulations, lots of jobs,” Cruz said.

President Joe Biden has recently been pushing his ‘Build Back Better’ agenda which promises to create jobs and give support to small businesses by cutting taxes and retain workers. But Cruz says small businesses will have to pay more taxes.

“Every small business owner around the table is concerned about the trillions of dollars in new spending that’s coming from Washington. They’re concerned about the trillions of dollars in new taxes coming from Washington,” Cruz said.

Cruz also mentioned how small business owners cannot retain employees because of the increase in unemployment payments during the pandemic.

“The problem is that’s not a good choice for that individual or for the country. We don’t wanna be incentivizing people not to work. Our objective should be get people back to work as quickly as possible. Get them back on their on feet,” Cruz said.

As the senator makes his way around the state, Wichita Falls Mayor Stephen Santillana says Cruz gave him and other business owners hope.

“Set aside your money and weather the storm. A lot of small businesses won’t be able to weather the storm, but you can if you’re a little bit better prepared. Weather that storm financially. So hopefully we can see small businesses walk away from this roundtable with a lot more hope with a lot of their questions answered,” Santellana said.

Business owners and politicians striving to bring people back to work during an extraordinary time.

Santellana also says he is hoping that the city can do something to help small businesses as well.

Click here to watch a part of the roundtable and full interview.