| Weekly Update from Sam |
| Dear Friends,
On October 31, I asked Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to clarify when the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) exchanges will be open. These are the exchanges where small businesses are supposed to be able to shop for health benefits for their employees that were to be ready on October 1. They were not. To date, there’s been neither a reply nor an announcement of the new start date. The administration has even declined media inquiries, as reported here by the Washington Business Journal.
Small businesses need to know. First, availability was delayed from an October 1 start, and then HHS also postponed the November 1 deadline. An administration official testified to Congress that the exchanges would be open for small businesses in late November. But that date is now in doubt. Even if the SHOPs open the last day of November, small businesses could have as little as 16 days to enroll in a plan for their employees through the exchanges. These decisions are especially urgent for those businesses that may have received cancellation notices. Unfortunately, for small businesses located in one of the 36 states where the federal government is running the SHOP exchanges, the Obama administration has announced small businesses will only be able to offer their employees the “choice” of one insurance plan.
The health care law imposes a substantial burden on small businesses that are grappling with costs and paperwork, and now are trying to make important year-end decisions about their health care plans. Small firms run on tight budgets and schedules; they need to be able to plan with certainty.
Sincerely,
Sam Graves
Chairman
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Latest Committee Action
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On Wednesday, the Committee examined startups and their unique challenges, along with the dynamic growth they bring to the economy. The hearing explored whether distinctions between startups and traditional small businesses necessitate different policies from Washington. High-growth startups are part of a changing entrepreneurial landscape that, even before they are profitable, can add economic vitality by hiring skilled employees and bringing new products to market. Read the U.S. News and World Report article.
On Thursday, the Subcommittee on Contracting and Workforce, under the chairmanship of Rep. Richard Hanna (R-NY), held a hearing about the economic and operational impact of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) new Hours of Service (HOS) regulation on small businesses, particularly those in the commercial freight and transportation logistics industries. During the summer, the FMCSA enacted new rules for HOS operations for commercial drivers that are having significant operational and economic impacts on small businesses in the freight transportation and logistics industries. Among these changes are modifications to the 34-hour restart provision. While the 34-hour restart is intended to ensure truck operators are adequately rested before returning to duty, small trucking firms report the provision has had the opposite effect, often forcing them to continue driving even when they are fatigued to stay on schedule and to drive at times when more passenger vehicles are on the roads. Read reports in Overdrive Magazine, and the Commercial Carrier Journal.
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News from Washington
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| This week, the House passed three bills to reduce regulatory barriers to developing energy, including the Natural Gas Pipeline Permitting Reform Act, the Federal Lands Jobs and Energy Security Act, and the Protecting States' Rights to Promote American Energy Security Act. More U.S. energy production lowers costs, helps the economy and helps reduce dependence on foreign energy sources.
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| Small Business Saturday |
Main Street has high hopes for Small Business Saturday, the Washington Post reports. Small retailers and other small firms are emphasizing “shop small” and “shop local” themes on November 30, the Saturday after Thanksgiving Day, and following “Black Friday."
This month, Chairman Graves introduced a resolution in Congress supporting Small Business Saturday as a great way to say “thank you” to a small business near you during the holiday shopping season. Small firms make a big impact on the economy by creating seven out of every ten new jobs, and employing nearly half of all private sector employees in the United States.
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| November 22, 2013 |
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| What We're Reading |
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Small Biz Resources
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| Tweet of the Week |
@RepRichardHanna American Transportation Research Institute survey of commercial drivers found 70% have lost pay under new #HOS rules. #4jobs @SmallBizGOP |
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