Indianapolis (April 29, 2014) — The National Federation of Independent Business
(NFIB) today put US senators on notice that their votes Wednesday on
whether to raise the federal minimum wage by 37 percent will count heavily
among small business owners in Indiana.
“Indiana has made dramatic progress in the last decade
improving its business climate and its competitive position,” said NFIB State Director Barbara Quandt. “The federal proposal would raise costs by 37
percent, making it harder for small business owners in Indiana to make a living and reducing the demand for entry-level
workers who need more opportunities.”
NFIB this morning sent a letter to the United States Senate notifying
members that S-2223 will count as a Key Vote in the NFIB Voting Record for the
113th Congress. The bill, entitled the Minimum Wage Fairness Act, would
increase the minimum wage to $10.10, increase tipped wage, and permanently
index it to inflation.
The organization opposes the measure as a danger to small
businesses that are least able to absorb a big increase in the cost labor.
“Yet again, lawmakers are targeting the nation’s economic
engine – small business owners
– with an anti-employer
agenda,” said NFIB Manager of Legislative Affairs Ashley
Fingarson. “With increases to health care costs, higher taxes, more
costly regulations, and now a dramatic minimum wage increase, small business
owners simply can’t afford another excessive government mandate. It could not be clearer from our
studies and the recent Congressional Budget Office report – raising the
minimum wage will kill jobs and stifle economic output.”
NFIB uses
Key Votes each Congress to rate members of Congress and the US Senate. The
information is then compiled and sent to each Congressional office at the end
of the congressional session. Lawmakers
who vote with small business at least 70 percent of the time are eligible for
NFIB’s Guardian of Small Business Award and potentially its endorsement for
reelection. The NFIB Voting Record also highlights
lawmakers who vote against small business on most key issues.
“A lot of
elected officials talk about supporting small businesses but their voting
records sometimes tell a different story,” said Quandt. “This is a very
important issue for small businesses in Indiana
and we want our senators to know that before they vote on Wednesday.”
