Will There Be a Small Biz Advocate in the White House in 2016?

Date: May 22, 2015

Hillary Clinton and other presidential candidates have prioritized small business in early campaigning.

“I want to be a small business president.”

It’s a note that’s ringing in voters’ ears early on in 2016 presidential campaigning. Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton dubbed herself as small biz president this week during the start of her campaign trail in Iowa, but both Democratic and Republican candidates have shown that “small business” will be a key buzzword in the coming months.

Clinton began her pitch as an advocate for small business in Iowa this week, voicing plans to cut red tape for small businesses, expand access to capital, find tax relief for business owners and stimulate exports, Bloomberg reports. Her address to Main Street included a pledge to make it easier to start and run small businesses, citing a World Bank survey that shows the U.S. is No. 46 among countries in “ease of starting a business,” falling below Canada and France.

“We are glad that she’s focused on small business as a presidential candidate, and we’re eager to find out what she has in mind,” Jack Mozloom, NFIB media and communications director, told Bloomberg. Citing Clinton’s NFIB voting record during her time in the Senate at an average 25 percent, Mozloom says: “It’s not the worst, but she could do better from our perspective.”

Her four-point plan, which she outlined in her inaugural LinkedIn post, includes:

1. Limiting federal regulations that pose barriers for new business creation

2. Simplifying taxes and providing more tax breaks that are targeted to small business

3. Using technology to give small businesses access to new markets

4. Expanding credit for small businesses

She’s Not Alone

Other presidential candidates, like Republican senators Ted Cruz and Rand Paul, have voiced plans to be pro-small business during their campaigns as well. Cruz has yet to roll out specific solutions for small biz issues, but says he wants to reduce the size of the IRS and create a flat tax to replace the complex federal tax codeThe Associated Press reported. Paul says he wants to implement a plan that would eliminate two existing federal regulations for every new one, according to The AP.

*Note: this news coverage does not equate to an endorsement of any candidate by NFIB.

Subscribe For Free News And Tips

Enter your email to get FREE small business insights. Learn more

Get to know NFIB

NFIB is a member-driven organization advocating on behalf of small and independent businesses nationwide.

Learn More

Or call us today
1-800-634-2669

© 2001 - 2024 National Federation of Independent Business. All Rights Reserved. Terms and Conditions | Privacy