Friends:

As you are all aware, the controversial health care reform legislation passed the House last Sunday, March 21st, and was signed into law by President Barack Obama on Tuesday, March 23rd. 

Needless to say, I am disappointed that Majority leaders chose to push an unprecedented overhaul of our health care system through Congress on a purely partisan vote.   The will of the American people was not respected in the creation or passage of this job-killing bill.  This ill-conceived legislation does not contain the right solutions, and I hope my colleagues and I will be able to work together to amend this law.


Sam Graves


News from the Small Business Committee:
(Please send any Member media activity to Alexandra.Haynes@mail.house.gov)

• Ranking Member Sam Graves (R-MO) was a guest on the radio show "Build Your Business.” Click here to listen.

• Rep. Lynn A. Westmoreland (R-GA) and Republican members from the Georgia delegation vow to fight the unconstitutional health care mandates.

• Rep. Westmoreland wrote an op-ed entitled, “Health care law's consequences will demand changes.”

• Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) appeared on Bay News 9 to discuss the health care bill.  Click here to view footage.

• Rep. Buchanan plans to introduce a bill to repeal "Sweet-Heart Deals" in the health care legislation.

• Rep. Buchanan will hold a town hall event on jobs, the economy and health care.

• Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO) joined a Bipartisan Transparency Caucus focusing on openness and accountability.

• Rep. Aaron Schock (R-IL) and other Illinois Republicans have called on the Illinois Attorney General to join states in challenging the constitutionality of the health care reform bill.

House Small Business Committee Action:

• On Wednesday, March 24th, the House Small Business Committee held a hearing entitled, “Business Participation in the Federal Procurement Marketplace.” Read more about what was discussed at the hearing here or click here to watch YouTube footage.

• Congress will be in recess until April 13th; therefore, Ranking Member Sam Graves’ Small Biz Straight Talk will be released next on April 16th.


Updates from Washington:
(Please send any Member initiatives related to small business and job creation to Paul.Sass@mail.house.gov)

• On Tuesday, the President signed the Democrats’ government takeover of health care into law.  This bill will put the government between patients and their doctors, kill jobs, hike taxes and increase regulations.  It will devastate small business owners, the very people who create seven out of every ten jobs in this country, by hitting them with impossible mandates.  For a quick read on how this bill will impact small businesses, click here. 

• On Wednesday, the House considered the Small Business and Infrastructure Jobs Tax Act of 2010 (H.R. 4849).  This legislation includes an increase in relief from capital gains taxes and in deductions for startup expenditures.  However, H.R. 4849 also includes a massive $19.4 billion increase in taxes, which will make things even more difficult for struggling small businesses.  H.R. 4948 passed the House by a vote of 246 to 178.

• Also this week, the House passed H.R. 4899, the Disaster Relief and Summer Jobs Act of 2010, by a vote of 239 to 175.  The bill would appropriate a total of $5.72 billion for FEMA disaster relief, a dubious summer “jobs” program, and Small Business Administration fee reductions and eliminations as well as loan guarantee costs.  Some Members were concerned that the legislation appropriates over $5 billion and only rescinds $620 million.  A Republican motion to recommit the bill to offset the cost of the spending was defeated.

• On Thursday, the Senate passed H.R. 4938, a bill to extend the Small Business Loan Guarantee Program.  This bill will allow up to $40 million of funds already appropriated to the Small Business Administration to be used for fee reductions and eliminations, as well as the cost of guaranteed loans.  H.R. 4938 will extend the program through April 30, 2010. 


 News and Resources for Small Business Owners:

• SMA Office of Advocacy released the study “Small Business Retirement Plan Availability and Worker Participation” 

• The Heritage Foundation published a summary “Timeline for Major Items in Senate Health Care Bill”