Hearings

The Path to Job Creation: The State of American Small Businesses

Wednesday, February 01, 2012 | 12:00 | Full Committee

On Wednesday, February 1, 2012, at 1:00 p.m. the Committee on Small Business conducted a hearing titled The Path to Job Creation: The State of American Small Businesses. The hearing began at 1:00 P.M. on February 1, 2012, in Room 2360 of the Rayburn House Office Building.

The purpose of the hearing was to examine obstacles to small business job creation and economic growth. On October 24, 2011, Gallup released a poll outlining the most significant concerns facing America’s small businesses. This poll mirrors numerous trade association, think tank, and national media polls that point to excessive government regulation, lack of available capital, and low consumer confidence as the biggest hurdles small business must overcome. The hearing aimed to inform committee members of the most pressing obstacles facing small businesses in an effort to narrow our focus to the most pertinent obstacles and to tackle the most egregious impediments to job creation and economic growth.

Opening Statement:

Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO)

Witnesses and Testimony:

Dennis J. Jacobe Ph.D, Chief Economist, Gallup, Washington, D.C.

Peter Ferrara, Senior Fellow, Entitlement and Budget Policy, The Heartland Institute, Chicago, IL

Martin Neil Baily, Ph. D, The Brookings Institution, Director, Initiative on Business and Public Policy, Senior Fellow, Economic Studies, Bernard L. Schwartz Chair in Economic Policy Development, Washington D.C.

Michael J. Fredrich, President, Manitowoc Custom Molding, Manitowoc, WI