[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 76 (Wednesday, May 8, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2725-S2728]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                      National Small Business Week

  Mr. BLUNT. Mr. President, this week is Small Business Week.
  For over a half a century now, the country has officially recognized 
Small Business Week, but in our country, small businesses have always 
accounted for and still account for most of the jobs created--
certainly, for most of the new jobs created. In Missouri, that is 
absolutely the case. We ought to be doing all we can to create an 
environment in which people can get those new jobs and often get their 
first jobs, and I think we are doing that.
  There is nothing better for small business than a strong overall 
economy. Almost daily now, we see some new number that sets a new 
record for the last 40 years or maybe for the last 50 years. In the 
case of the unemployment number, just this week, for the 13th month in 
a row, we have had more jobs available than people who have been 
looking for work, and that had never happened a single time--not one 
single time--until 13 months ago. The best thing, obviously, for small 
business is to be part of a growing economy, a vibrant economy. We are 
seeing that, and there are reasons for that.
  The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 is one of those. Almost every small 
business now pays less in taxes on its business than it did before. 
Businesses are allowed to fully deduct the cost of new equipment so 
they can reinvest and reinvent and grow their businesses. That means 
more jobs.
  The tax cuts also allow people to keep more of their money, and that 
means they have more of their money to spend. In my State of Missouri, 
we found that in the first 12 months of the tax cut--so these numbers 
are now about 6 months old, and I think, if anything, they have gotten 
better--the sales tax and use tax were up 2.5 percent.
  We know the last quarter of the overall gross domestic product was up 
3.2 percent, but 2.5 percent of real growth in just tax income is one 
of the ways one measures whether people are spending their money or 
not, and they are.
  People in this economy feel more confident about their jobs, and that 
makes a big difference. In the previous 8 or 10 years, the fear that 
people had of losing their jobs has really gone. People now go to work 
believing there is a better chance they will get promotions than they 
will lose their jobs, and that makes a real difference. So we have done 
things that are helpful in cutting taxes.
  We have also done things that are helpful in reducing regulation. The 
President has been particularly helpful in leading the recovery after 
removing regulatory redtape. Actually, small businesses are much more 
affected by regulatory redtape than are big businesses. Big businesses 
can hire somebody to go through the regulations and stay totally 
focused on that, and small businesses can't. If you are afraid you are 
going to violate some Federal regulation, you are less likely to go 
ahead and make the kind of investment you would like to make than you 
otherwise would be. We have also created more access to credit by 
cutting down some of the overregulation of community banks.
  There is more we ought to be doing. One thing we could have that a 
lot of small businesses could really benefit from is the New Markets 
Tax Credit Program. This is a program that was first authorized in 
2000. It encourages investment in high-poverty areas or in low-income 
areas. Again, in Missouri, 42,000 new jobs have been created as a 
result of the New Markets Tax Credit Program. The other day, I went to 
the first new supermarket since 1968 in North St. Louis. This new 
supermarket opened because it was able to use the New Markets Tax 
Credit Program. It is a program we clearly need to extend. Once again, 
I and Senator Cardin, from Maryland, introduced that legislation, and 
we hope that can happen.
  On the health front, there is nothing better for small business than 
the idea of association health plans. It has been challenged in court, 
but I will tell you what. In Missouri, we have had experience with this 
for a long time. It does work. It just, frankly, makes sense. If you 
are a small restaurant owner, you are not going to have as good a 
program for your employees as if you could get that program through the 
Missouri Restaurant Association, through the National Restaurant 
Association, or through some other association that would allow you to 
be the kind of group from which 180 million Americans already get their 
insurance. We need to continue to work on this as we honor small 
business with things like we have done in the last couple of days.
  The Ex-Im Bank is often not thought of as a thing that small business 
uses, but there are more small business Ex-Im Bank loans that are 
processed than there are of big business loans. Even when there are big 
business loans, those big businesses almost always have small business 
providers for what they do. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission 
can't fully work in a way that people can count on if it doesn't have 
the people there to make it work. We did that today.
  So my colleagues and I are here today to talk about small business. 
It is the engine that drives America. This is the week in which we 
honor it, but, frankly, our economy is dependent on it every single 
week, and I am glad to be here to talk about it.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Iowa.
  Ms. ERNST. Mr. President, our Nation's economy is booming. Last 
Friday's jobs report far exceeded anyone's expectations. It showed that 
we added 263,000 jobs last month and that unemployment was sitting at 
the lowest since 1969. At the backbone of it all are our small 
businesses.
  Just look at my home State of Iowa, where 99 percent of our 
businesses are small businesses. With our State's

[[Page S2726]]

economy continuing to grow and our unemployment amongst the lowest in 
the Nation, it is clear that our small businesses' success is Iowa's 
success. These job creators in our State are leading the way by finding 
innovative solutions and creating new opportunities for our workforce. 
Too often, small businesses struggle to comply with some of the most 
costly and burdensome regulations that come out of Washington, DC.
  As a way to rein in these regulations and to foster a more thoughtful 
rulemaking process, this week, I reintroduced my PROVE IT Act. This 
bipartisan legislation gives the Small Business Administration's Office 
of Advocacy an opportunity to ask Agencies to prove their regulatory 
analyses when proposing a rule that may be economically harmful to 
small businesses. It gives Iowa's small businesses a voice in the 
rulemaking process.
  One increasingly important component of our country's labor market is 
women-owned small businesses. Iowa ranks in the top 10 for growth in 
employment and revenues in women-owned businesses. However, these 
businesses still face many challenges. That is why I recently 
introduced the Expanding Contracting Opportunities for Small Businesses 
Act, which addresses the discrepancy in sole-source manufacturing 
contracts that puts women-owned small businesses at a disadvantage. 
This bipartisan bill is a sensible and simple fix to help ensure all of 
Iowa's small business owners get a fair shot at competing and 
succeeding.
  Commonsense deregulation, coupled with tax reform, has helped to fuel 
economic growth and has contributed to high levels of consumer and 
business confidence. Yet, folks, there is still a lot of work to be 
done. While many of Iowa's small businesses would absolutely love to 
provide their employees with the option of having paid parental leave, 
it is just far too costly. That is one reason I am working with Senator 
Mike Lee on a proposal that would allow new moms and dads who work at 
one of these small businesses the opportunity to receive paid parental 
leave.
  As a member of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship 
Committee, I am excited to celebrate National Small Business Week and 
to continue fighting for pro-growth policies and a regulatory system 
that encourages innovation and job growth--one in which Iowa's small 
businesses are heard loud and clear. As I have said before, when Iowa's 
small businesses are successful, Iowa also succeeds.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arkansas.
  Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, I am pleased to join many of my 
colleagues today to celebrate National Small Business Week.
  Nearly every day, we do business with these local retailers or use 
products they had a hand in creating somewhere along the supply chain. 
Still, it can be easy to focus on the larger companies that dominate 
America's economic landscape, but this week is a time to shift our 
attention to the entrepreneurs and innovators who reach for their 
pieces of the American dream and work tirelessly to achieve them. This 
is no small feat, but it happens over and over again each day as it has 
throughout our Nation's history.
  This week, we have the opportunity to recognize and commend those who 
take this leap of faith while generating positive economic activity and 
benefits that help to strengthen and sustain the system that has 
created more wealth for more people than any other in human history. 
This system is capitalism. It underpins our society and is marked by 
the freedom and ability to make our own economic decisions. Those 
decisions have often led Americans to start businesses and become their 
own bosses. As a result, America's small businesses are now, without 
question, the backbone of our country.
  As the Small Business Administration has reported, more than half of 
Americans either own or work for a small business, and they create 
about two out of every three new jobs in the United States each year. 
It is clear that small businesses drive the U.S. economy.
  I was recently in North Central Arkansas, where I met with several 
small business owners and their employees. This time last year, I 
toured small businesses in South and Southwest Arkansas to highlight 
and learn more about the impact they have on our State. Representatives 
from the Small Business Administration were on hand for some of these 
visits to underscore the Agency's willingness and desire to help 
promote and assist small businesses, owners, and entrepreneurs with 
establishing or expanding their companies.
  At each stop, the conversations provided me with invaluable insight 
as to the challenges and opportunities businesses face. Inevitably, the 
discussions also turned to how the economic climate has changed for the 
better in recent years. Whether they have been changes in the Tax Code 
that have helped to make small businesses even more competitive, 
including the qualified business deduction, altering the estate tax, or 
increasing bonus depreciation, as well as having provided regulatory 
relief and certainty, we have witnessed how these pro-growth policies 
have not only helped to drastically uplift and improve America's 
economy but how they have also given business owners and entrepreneurs 
the confidence they have been lacking for so many years about whether 
to invest or expand their opportunities.
  According to the Small Business Administration, Arkansas is home to 
over 247,000 small businesses, which is over 99.3 percent of all 
businesses in the State. These enterprises employ over 479,000 
Arkansans, which makes it easy to see how much of an impact they have 
on our State's economic climate. In addition to powering the economy, 
small businesses also contribute to the communities they operate in. 
They embody the American values and ideals that have helped to build 
our country--hard work, a willingness to take risks, and a vision for 
opportunity. That is why we recognized the importance of entrepreneurs 
by passing a resolution designating May 5 through 11 as National Small 
Business Week.
  I encourage people across my home State and throughout the country to 
support small businesses in their communities, especially this week. I 
also encourage my colleagues to continue listening to the concerns and 
to the advice of our entrepreneurs and of those they employ.
  We can build on our positive economic growth by pursuing more 
policies that will help our small businesses succeed. The show of 
support certainly means a lot to the folks who own these companies and 
their employees who count on them to earn their livelihoods. It also 
serves as a way to further cultivate and reward the entrepreneurial 
spirit that is at the very heart of America.
  I applaud the men and women in Arkansas and across the United States 
who work incredibly hard as they run their own businesses and chase the 
American dream. This week, we celebrate them and our Nation's intrepid, 
enterprising legacy that helps make us who we are.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Tennessee.
  Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, I am pleased to join my colleagues and 
celebrate National Small Business Week. I love this poster that they 
have prepared today because Tennessee is right at the heart of this.
  For over five decades, National Small Business Week has been an 
opportunity to recognize the tremendous contribution of small 
businesses and entrepreneurs to the American economy.
  We know and we hear it said so often that there is nothing small 
about small business because of the economic impact it has. I tell you, 
the statistics really do bear that out.
  According to the most recent report from the Small Business 
Administration's Office of Advocacy for my home State of Tennessee, 
there are over 603,000 small businesses located in our State. Now, 99.4 
percent of all the businesses in our State are small businesses. That 
speaks to the health and vitality of our economy.
  Collectively, these small businesses employ over 1.1 million people, 
and that accounts for 42.3 percent of the entire workforce in the 
State. So small business has an enormous footprint in the State of 
Tennessee.
  Now, we have heard a lot about the booming economy in recent weeks, 
and as we celebrate Mother's Day this week--and I do hope it is a happy 
Mother's Day for everyone. We know

[[Page S2727]]

this economy that is booming, that is growing, with record-low 
unemployment numbers, with economic vitality, wage growth that we have 
not seen--we know this is an economy that makes the lives of millions 
of working women and those families' lives better, and we celebrate 
what this economy is doing for the Nation as a whole.
  Specific to Tennessee, as we celebrate Mother's Day, we celebrate 
these women-owned businesses. What we do know from the research that is 
out is that Tennessee is the fifth best State in the country for 
female-owned small businesses and that they are seeing dynamic growth 
in both revenue and employment.
  Now, the economic gains that have come about because of the tax cuts 
and the regulatory reforms that have been enacted by President Trump, 
voted on, pushed through by congressional Republicans, have changed the 
economic landscape of millions of Americans.
  Since tax reform was signed into law, 3.2 million new jobs were 
created, 90 percent of the taxpayers have received a bigger paycheck, 
and jobless claims are at the lowest they have been in 50 years.
  Here is the connective tissue between these encouraging stats and 
what I hear back in Tennessee. Because the economy is strong, now is a 
great time to grow or to expand or to start a new business. 
Entrepreneurs feel confident so they are betting on themselves and 
making decisions that they need to make in order to succeed: They are 
hiring that new employee, adding a new store or a new location, and 
daring to turn their dreams into a reality.
  Small businesses are the key driver of our turbocharged economy, and 
we will continue to do all we can to help them thrive.
  I will tell you also, as a member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs 
Committee, that I want to thank those entrepreneurs who are veterans, 
who are stepping up at record rates in our State and are starting their 
small businesses.
  Some of these deal with services that are needed and products that 
are needed by our military post or used by our National Guard. These 
veterans make great small business owners, and they also make great 
employees. The skills they learn defending our Nation while they are in 
uniform are uniquely well suited to succeed in business: the 
discipline, the focus, the resilience, the ability to plan, to adapt, 
to work collaboratively with others in order to get a job done.
  Indeed, for themselves and their families, they are getting the job 
done. These are the hallmarks of our soldiers, sailors, airmen, 
marines, but they are also the qualities of successful entrepreneurs. 
We are thrilled they choose to call Tennessee home.
  The importance of the American small business is gauged not only by 
facts and figures. The true value of our small businesses comes not 
just from their contribution to the American economy but also their 
contribution to another American Dream fulfilled.
  Entrepreneurship is the embodiment of the American dream. It is about 
men and women pursuing their passions. They work hard, save their 
money, make a plan, and put that plan into action. Oftentimes, they 
struggle, sometimes they will end up failing, but they pick themselves 
up, preserve their right to move forward, push forward, and they never 
stop trying. Our economy and our Nation are stronger and better for 
their efforts.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from South Carolina.
  Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina. Mr. President, National Small Business 
Week is about so much more than simply saying thank you to our small 
business owners and entrepreneurs. It is about recognizing everything 
they do for our communities. They aren't simply the economic backbone 
but a common thread that binds us together.
  We all remember the stores we visited when we were young or with our 
families to pick out a new pair of shoes. They host bake sales, donate 
to local churches and charities, as well as support local youth teams. 
They invest in us, and we invest in them.
  South Carolina is home to more than 400,000 small businesses 
employing nearly 800,000 people.
  Having been a small business owner myself, I have to tell you that 
one of the more exciting times you could ever have in life is starting 
a small business. I know Senator Braun can talk about what ABC Sports 
used to call the thrill of victory as well as the agony of defeat. 
Sometimes, for me, the thrill of victory was when I was signing the 
front side of a paycheck for my employees, and the agony of defeat was 
when I was not signing the back side of that paycheck for myself.
  Being a small business owner certainly teaches you incredible lessons 
about life, about people, and certainly about the community you want to 
serve. Owning your own small business is a rewarding and sometimes 
challenging experience.
  As part of National Small Business Week, it is also my honor to 
recognize VetFriends of Mount Pleasant, SC, as the Senate's Small 
Business of the Day.
  Dale Sutcliffe, a U.S. Marine veteran of Desert Storm, founded 
VetFriends nearly 20 years ago with the simple mission of reuniting 
veterans. Following his service, Dale recognized the benefit that 
reconnecting veterans could have and quickly set up a platform where 
veterans can reunite with their fellow servicemembers during the time 
in which they served our great Nation.
  The VetFriends platform has over 2.5 million veteran members and has 
brought together thousands of veterans. In the process, the platform 
has helped veterans share their stories, share their photos, as well as 
stay informed about upcoming events and reunions.
  Currently, VetFriends employs over 25 South Carolinians and almost 
all have a close relationship with a veteran. The team at VetFriends 
has a longstanding tradition of supporting the veterans community and 
are regularly seen volunteering at the Ralph Johnson VA Medical Center. 
Additionally, the business has taken an active role working with the 
Wounded Warrior Project and Patriots Point in Charleston.
  It is clear that VetFriends' values and goals not only enhance their 
business plan but also improve the community they belong to. VetFriends 
is an amazing example of what our small businesses are capable of, and 
I thank Dale Sutcliffe and our small business owners throughout South 
Carolina for pouring their heart and their soul as well as their dreams 
back into the community.
  Let me finish by saying happy Mother's Day to all the mothers and 
especially my mama.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Indiana.
  Mr. BRAUN. Madam President, I was asked to bat cleanup on National 
Small Business Week for our conference. I have been a Main Street 
entrepreneur my entire life.
  My wife and I moved back to our hometown in 1978. She will celebrate 
her 41st anniversary this September with her only job--a business in 
our downtown selling home accessories and gifts.
  I am very proud of you, Maureen.
  Three years later, I had my opportunity to stake out my attempt at 
being an entrepreneur. As Senator Scott mentioned, it is fraught with 
pitfalls. There is no guarantee, when you stick your neck out and want 
to do some enterprise--no guarantee it is going to turn out. What a 
thrill it is, though, when it does, and it is what drives our great 
country.
  Enterprise in this country, from its foundation, was built upon small 
businesses. We have over 500,000 of them in Indiana. Those businesses 
created over 38,000 new jobs in the last year, but things aren't as 
good as they could be because as much as the tax reform did for 
securing the future of small business, it is not permanent. We need to 
make sure that is done sometime before 2025.
  Manufacturing--the biggest business in Indiana since the Trump 
economy has created the hottest context for business, small, medium or 
large. Six times more jobs in President Trump's 2 years have been 
created in manufacturing than the last 2 years of the prior 
administration.
  Sometimes a little business can get lucky and become a medium-size 
business and a large business. Mine followed that pathway. I will give 
you a little detail on that in a moment.
  McDonald's started with one location. This summer they will add, in 
the

[[Page S2728]]

State of Indiana, 11,000 summer jobs. International companies even come 
to the State of Indiana because our door is open and what a great place 
to have a small, medium, or large business.
  Saab will add a $25 million investment in West Lafayette that will 
create 200 great-paying jobs.
  Now back to my story. We raised a family, and I had the chance to 
start my business. In 17 years, it never got beyond 15 employees. That 
is the number of employees I started with in 1981 and that is what I 
had in 1998.
  Perseverance, patience, reinvesting, keeping a low overhead so you 
can get through the scrapes that inevitably will come in an economy, 
and someday your day of opportunity will arise.
  In the darkest hours of the great recession, when our industry shrunk 
by over 50 percent literally overnight, every asset I owned was a piece 
of commercial real estate--a warehouse. Everything I sold was an 
unnecessary want, not a need--auto and truck accessories. I wondered, 
what did the future hold?
  Well, the future held the greatest opportunity I could have ever 
imagined because I lived my life in a way that set the stage for 
opportunity. I make that point because we are not doing it in this 
institution.
  We have set ourselves up to ruin a lot of the good things that are 
occurring from decades and decades ago to the present if we don't get 
our house in order. The institution of the Federal Government should be 
the pride of our country. Running $850 billion deficits and $22 
trillion in debt, that doesn't bode well for any of us. But the good 
news is, if we keep this economy going, I think it can go decades into 
the future, where we keep creating jobs and raising wages like have 
never been done before. But I mentioned earlier that some of us turn 
them into medium-size businesses and larger businesses, and so often, 
what got you there, you forget about.

  I tell folks all the time: It doesn't matter what size business you 
have, if you are successful, share those benefits with your employees. 
Raise benefits through your 401(k) plan. Lower healthcare costs if you 
can, and certainly raise wages.
  Make sure people look to the real world for what means the most and 
not to government. If you look to government, especially the Federal 
Government, you are going to be disappointed. The action in our country 
is on Main Streets in towns and cities across the country in our 
States.
  My parting comments: The biggest companies in this country sometimes, 
in my opinion, behave most poorly. I am going to talk about two--Big Ag 
and Big Healthcare.
  I took on the healthcare issue 10 years ago in my own company. Nobody 
should go broke because they get sick or have a bad accident. All small 
businesses want to offer good healthcare to their employees but can't. 
Why? Because the industry has gotten concentrated with huge 
corporations, from pharma to hospitals across the board and health 
insurance companies, which I had to tangle with.
  I ask you to get with it, be transparent, and be competitive so you 
don't have a business partner that may only be the Federal Government 
down the road.
  Big Agriculture--I want to end with this because in Joni's State, a 
high percentage of small businesses are farmers. Farmers take on the 
most difficult task of any business in our country--the weather, a high 
amount of assets for the income they generate. They have regulations 
like waters of the United States--great intentions but overbearing. 
There are farmers who now worry about ditch maintenance because ditches 
that don't have water in them most of the year are now considered 
waters of the United States. We have to get a better balance to where 
we have good regulations and not overbearing regulations.
  I am asking folks in this Chamber, in this Congress, to look to get 
this house in order, and I am asking Big Industry--big companies in the 
agricultural arena and in the healthcare arena--to get their act in 
order so the doctors who participate within healthcare and the farmers 
who participate within agriculture can make an honest living. They are 
all small businesses, and small businesses drive this country.
  Thank you.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Illinois.