[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 35 (Thursday, March 15, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H943-H944]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           SUPPORTING THE SMALL BUSINESS PAPERWORK RELIEF ACT

  (Mr. KENNEDY of Minnesota asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KENNEDY of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I often joke that the only 
thing I hate worse than taxes is burdensome regulations. But our small

[[Page H944]]

businesses spend at least 1 billion hours a year filling out government 
forms. As a businessman myself, I understand the impact that this has 
on business. Every hour that is really spent on filling out this 
needless paperwork is an hour that our small business owners could use 
to grow their business.
  In a rural district such as mine, almost all of our businesses are 
small, and this has a very profound effect. Small businesses need to 
thrive in order for our communities to prosper in rural America.
  The Small Business Paperwork Relief Act that we just passed I hope is 
the beginning of a new era to be friendly to small business. When we 
support rural small business we support rural hospitals, we support 
rural schools, and we support the rural infrastructure that is 
necessary for our communities to prosper.
  That is why this Kennedy was very happy to vote for the Small 
Business Paperwork Relief Act.

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