The following commentary is excerpted from a press releae issued by the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBE Council). The headline reads "Election Results Mean Bright Path for Reforms and Legislation Supporting Entrepreneurs. Political Sea Change Will Benefit Startups and Struggling Small Businesses."
Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBE Council) president & CEO Karen Kerrigan issued the following statement on the results of the 2014 elections:
“Small-business owners and entrepreneurs have endured six long years of federal policies that have imposed new burdens, costs and uncertainties. These costly policies hit struggling business owners during the depths of the recession, and have continued to take their toll during the weak economic recovery. The ongoing threat of new regulatory burdens and tax increases, on top of existing ones only, aggravated the poor environment for investment, job creation and new startup activity. With entrepreneurship at historic lows in the U. S., a policy formula of tax and regulatory relief, access to affordable capital and health coverage, incentives to encourage investment and innovation, and expanded markets, is desperately needed.
“We are hopeful that the change in the Senate will mean a more productive Senate. Bipartisan bills that were passed in the U.S. House died a quick death under Democrat Majority Leader Harry Reid. Out of the 200 or so bipartisan bills passed by the House in this Congress, approximately 100 enjoyed 75% support from the Democratic caucus. The Senate Majority Leader failed to do his job, and the voters have spoken. There is no need for gridlock on Capitol Hill, particularly given the bipartisan support for House-passed bills that propose reasonable reforms to improve capital formation, the regulatory climate, tax reforms and how government works for the American people. We look forward to engaging with the new Congress to get these bills passed for America’s entrepreneurs.
“Many states that are tough places for entrepreneurs to start and grow a business will also get new leadership. States such as Illinois, Massachusetts and Maryland, currently faltering on SBE Council’s Small Business Policy Index, now have an opportunity to advance policies that support business creation and growth. Meanwhile, states that rank very high on the Index, such as Ohio, Florida, Texas and Nevada, have rewarded current governors – or those who have pledged to carry on their retiring chief executive’s policy legacy – with another term to continue policies and reforms favorable to small business. In addition, governors who are working hard to put in place policies and reforms to improve the competitiveness of their states – such as New Mexico, Kansas and Wisconsin – have been rewarded with another term.
“The political and policy trends in the U.S. are clear, which is favorable to entrepreneurship and small business. The message of this wave election is all about policies and ideas that strengthen the economy and opportunity. This largely centers on strengthening entrepreneurship. The SBE Council looks forward to working with elected officials at all levels of government to advance policies that will get the U.S. back to robust levels of entrepreneurship and economic growth.”
SBE Council is a nonprofit advocacy, education and research organization dedicated to protected small business and promoting entrepreneurship. For more information, please visit: www.sbecouncil.org. Follow us on Twitter @SBECouncil.
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