[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 83 (Friday, June 7, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5982-S5983]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          SMALL BUSINESS WEEK

 Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, this week is Small Business Week, 
during which we honor and express our appreciation for the men and 
women who, by dint of hard work and risktaking, help keep the American 
economy going strong and create jobs for millions of their fellow 
citizens.
  The life of a small business owner is not easy: Long hours, uncertain 
finances, competition, the very real chance of failure. Add to these 
burdens Federal taxes and regulations, and you have a rough road 
indeed. Many small business people will tell you that the Federal tax 
and regulatory burden is an obstacle to growth, and that the Federal 
Government's excessive interference poses a threat not only to their 
growth, but in some cases to their very survival. It's time the 
Government got off the backs of small businesses, and stopped throwing 
obstacles in the way of their success.
  Because small businesses are so vital to our economy, and because so 
many American workers benefit from employment in small businesses, 
Congress is working to relieve some of the tax and regulatory burdens 
on small business owners so that they may be free to grow, create jobs, 
and contribute even more to the economy.

[[Page S5983]]

  We've done quite a bit, passing--and making law--15 bills that 
included measures endorsed by last year's White House Conference on 
Small Business. Unfortunately, eight bills that contained important 
small business relief have been vetoed by President Clinton.
  Yes, that's right--eight bills that included recommendations from the 
White House Conference on Small Business were vetoed by the current 
occupant of the White House, President Clinton. Those eight measures, 
which would have been of tremendous help to small business men and 
women were: An estate tax reduction, health care reform, pension 
reform, legal reform, a health deduction for the self-employed, an 
expensing provision, broad-based capital gains reform, and small 
business investment via capital gains reform. Last year, at the 
conference, the President expressed strong support for these measures 
and led us to believe that he wanted to relieve some of the burdens on 
our Nation's entrepreneurs.
  Well, as we know from past experience, you can't always rely on what 
the President says he's going to do. I certainly hope this Small 
Business Week will jog his memory as to the promises he made last year, 
and that he will work with Congress as we continue in our efforts to 
ease the burdens on small businesses.

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