| Weekly Update from Sam |
| Dear Friends,
Small businesses are sometimes mentioned but not often made a priority by this Administration. In the State of the Union address this week, small businesses were acknowledged, as expected, but the source of many of the obstacles facing them was not. After a five-year track record, President Obama’s policies of more red tape, higher taxes, economic uncertainty and disrupted health care coverage are not leading to the kind of growth that matches this great nation’s capabilities. The real economic recovery that we need is only possible when small businesses are prospering, too.
Small businesses find opportunity, not through subsidies or government programs, but through innovation and entrepreneurship. While Washington can produce rhetoric and nicely-titled programs, small businesses and the American private sector are the real producers of jobs and growth. When it comes to helping small businesses, sometimes the best thing government can do is simply get out of the way.
Sincerely,
Sam Graves
Chairman
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Latest Committee Action
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On Tuesday, the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Energy and Trade, under presiding Chairman Richard Hanna (R-NY), held a hearing with James Sanford, Assistant United States Trade Representative for Small Business, Market Access and Industrial Competitiveness. The Subcommittee examined the status and impact of trade policy on small firms, and heard testimony regarding Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), and ongoing negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO).
On Thursday, Chairman Graves sent a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius requesting data on the number of small businesses which have enrolled in health insurance via the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP). The Administration delayed online federal SHOP exchange for a year, but small businesses can still seek enrollment through paper applications. As reported here and here, the data is still unavailable.
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News from Washington
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On Wednesday, the House passed the Agricultural Act of 2014, commonly known as the Farm Bill, by a bipartisan vote of 251-166. The legislation protects farm programs, tightens guidelines for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and sets agricultural priorities for the next five years.
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| Stay Plugged In |
Be sure to check out the House Small Business Committee on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter for all the latest in Small Biz news and resources and to join the conversation. We value your input, so tell us about your small business on our interactive website Small Biz Open Mic.
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| January 31, 2014 |
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| What We're Reading |
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Small Biz Resources
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| Tweet of the Week |
@SmallBizGOP When the President took office the US was the 6th easiest place to start a business, where do we rank now? pic.twitter.com/AKVTW5PgHl
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