WASHINGTON D.C. – Today, Congressman Roger Williams (R-TX), Chairman of the House Committee on Small Business, held a Member Day Hearing to hear from Members of Congress who do not sit on the Committee about the issues small businesses in their district are facing.

“From rural communities to large cities, Main Street America exists in every single Congressional district across the country,” said Chairman Williams. “I want to thank my colleagues in the House for taking the time to testify about the issues the small business owners in their districts are facing. Our goal on this Committee is to ensure that small businesses across the nation have the resources and assistance they need to grow and succeed. When Main Street thrives, America prospers.”

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Watch the full hearing here.

Below are some key excerpts from today’s hearing:

Rep. Kelly: “If you want to know how important small businesses are: if you have a son who plays Little League baseball, see whose name is on the outfield fence. If you have a daughter who is maybe performing in a school play, open up the program, and you’re going to see whose name is inside the program because we pick up the tab on almost everything there is in our small towns and our small businesses, wherever it is that we live and work. It’s been an honor for me to serve with Roger because we understand each other so much about what it takes to make a business prosper. The other side of it is the economic impact that small businesses have. We pay incredible taxes. We provide benefits. We provide an idea that you know this is a business where I can work as hard as I want. I can keep working, and I can prosper from it. There are times that are tougher than others. We get that. I’ve been through both sides of it. I’ve been through the situation where I can’t imagine how I’m going to make payroll. The sixth and the 21^st  were always the biggest days of the month for me. People would say, ‘Is that an anniversary?’ I said, ‘No, that’s payroll,’ and I know that for people who are in small businesses, we never missed a payday. That’s not bragging, by the way. Now, there were days I didn’t get paid, but for the team that worked together every single day, we were there for them. I think the backbone of America really is small. Small business is the big business of America.”

Rep. Cline: “It’s an honor to discuss legislation that I’ve introduced that supports and positively impacts small businesses–not only in my district, the sixth district of Virginia, but across the nation. The Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act is an important piece of legislation under the jurisdiction of this Committee that will help American small businesses comply with the overwhelming weight of federal regulation. As you know, small businesses around the United States are at a disadvantage when complying with burdensome federal regulations, and such regulations–including one-size-fits-all rules that raise prices at the cash register–cause significant economic harm to small businesses and consumers. Burdensome regulations can also keep some small businesses out of the market altogether. Facing insurmountable compliance costs, potential entrepreneurs all too often choose to never open their small businesses in the first place.”

Rep. Wied: “As most of you may know, this week is National Small Business Week, a time when we celebrate the hard work and contributions that entrepreneurs and small businesses make to our economy. As a former small business owner, I know firsthand how difficult it is to run a successful company. For too long, small businesses on Main Street have been overlooked in favor of big businesses on Wall Street. House Republicans are committed to supporting President Trump’s efforts to refocus the Small Business Administration away from the bloated regulatory agency, primarily staffed by career bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., towards its original mission of helping small businesses inside their communities. Last week, this Committee did just that. We passed, out of Committee, bills that move 30 percent of SBA staff out of Washington D.C., required proof of citizenship for SBA loans, and prohibited the SBA from engaging in any voter registration activities. These are all commonsense bills that refocus the Small Business Administration toward its original mission.”

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