Raising costs on small business owners will make it even more difficult for them to create the jobs that our country needs.  The very threat of this tax increase has already forced some employers to suspend any immediate plans for hiring and expansion in 2011.

The American people have sent a clear message to Washington that they are sick and tired of dangerous economic policies of higher taxes and more federal spending.  Unfortunately, President Obama and Majority Leaders continue to delay working with Republicans to address this critical tax issue.  Entrepreneurs must now wait until Congress returns from the Thanksgiving recess on November 29th to see if Democrat leadership will finally act in accordance with the will of the people. 

In times of economic uncertainty and record unemployment, the last thing families and employers need is the government taking more of their hard-earned money.  My Republican colleagues and I will do everything we can to stop these dangerous tax increases.


Sam Graves
Ranking Member

The House has adjourned for the Thanksgiving holiday through November 29th.  As a result, no hearings are scheduled in the House Small Business Committee.

You can stay up-to-date on previous and upcoming hearings in the Committee by visiting the Committee Calendar on our website, or by following us on Twitter

During Thursday’s Senate Small Business Committee hearing on small business regulations, the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Chief Counsel for Advocacy, Winslow Sargeant, called for a repeal of the 1099 Reporting Rule in the health care law.  Mr. Sargeant stated that the 1099 requirement “will greatly increase the reporting and recordkeeping burdens on small businesses.”

The Senate has approved legislation (H.R. 5712) to temporarily prevent the 23 percent reduction in Medicare reimbursement levels that was scheduled to take effect on December 1st.  The legislation extends the existing 2.2% increase in reimbursement levels (passed in June) through December.  The House is expected to consider the bill on November 29th.

On Thursday, House Republicans united to pass a historic ban on earmarks in the 112th Congress.  According to the nonpartisan organization Citizens Against Government Waste, there were 9,129 earmarked projects inserted into the Fiscal Year 2010 appropriations bills, totaling $16.5 billion.

Finally, the House did not approve H.R. 6419, the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Continuation Act.  This bill would have extended unemployment benefits through February 2011 and added an estimated $12 billion to the deficit.  Because the bill failed, some unemployment benefits may expire on November 30th. 

• WSJ: Tax Hikes and the Small Business Job Machine
• Portfolio: It's Main Street vs. Wall Street at the Fed
• FT: US Banks See Demand for Business Loans Drop
• NYT: Meet the New Small-Business Owners in Congress

• Graves pursuing Chairmanship
• Akin opposes tax hike
• Buchanan calls for less federal spending
• Thompson demands 1099 repeal
• Schock discusses taxes on CNN
• More Member Highlights… 

• NFIB’s November Economic Trends
• American Action Forum tax study
• Heritage Foundation report on Obamacare
• More news and resources…