NFIB's Danner: Small Business Is Finally on Offense

Date: April 01, 2015

The House and Senate last week passed a federal budget that
eliminates the deficit in 10 years by cutting trillions of dollars in
spending. Small business owners won’t be impressed. They and their
customers live under spending restraints as a matter of necessity. But
Congress’ action is noteworthy, especially considering that this will be the
first time in nearly a decade that both houses will formulate a fiscal plan the
way the Constitution envisions.

Even more encouraging is that Congress committed itself to
balancing the budget. What they passed last week isn’t binding on future
congresses, of course, but we should be pleased that a majority of lawmakers
are finally taking seriously their fiscal responsibilities.

Another milestone was passage last week by the House Ways
and Means Committee of a bill that would eliminate the federal Estate
Tax
. Small business owners, including family farmers, strongly support
the measure as a way to preserve their businesses when they pass on. The
bill, which was also introduced in the Senate last week, has a very strong
chance of reaching the President’s desk. We’re hopeful that he’ll
reconsider his opposition. The Estate Tax generates very little revenue
but it has a devastating impact on small business families who must often shut
down and sell off the assets just to satisfy their obligation to
government.

Finally, both houses last week adopted resolutions
disapproving of a recent decision by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)
to accelerate union elections. Doing so is a major priority for small
business owners, and NFIB has been far out front on the issue. Under the
rule, labor organizers can prepare in secret for months and then hold “ambush
elections” to unionize workers in as few as 10 days. But it can take
weeks for owners to seek legal counsel, make their own preparations and talk to
workers about the potential consequences. The rule clearly aims to tilt
the scales in favor of unions and against small business owners.
Unfortunately, President Obama vetoed the resolution, so the rule will stand
for now. In the meantime, we’ll continue the fight in the courts.

What’s refreshing about this session is that we’re finally
on offense. For the previous six years, small business has been forced to
defend against one threat after another. Now we’re driving the agenda and
making progress. Be sure to return to NFIB.com
to keep up with our efforts on your behalf. In the meantime, please feel
free to contact us with any concerns or ideas you might have that will help us
do better at serving your interests in Washington and in the 50 states.

Sincerely,
Dan Danner
President and CEO, NFIB

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About the Author

Dan Danner, NFIB President and CEO

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