Bush: Small Business Has a Friend in the White House
6/17/2004
WASHINGTON--President George W. Bush used to be a dues-paying member of NFIB. So perhaps that is why the current occupant of the White House understands the daily struggles of life as a small-business owner.
“What is good for small business is good for America,” Bush said in an hour-long speech to NFIB members gathered in Washington, D.C., this week for the NFIB National Small Business Summit.
After jokingly asking attendees, “Who’s minding the shop?” the president laid out a detailed agenda on how his administration plans to make sure the recently recovered economy continues to grow.
Bush’s plan includes issues familiar to NFIB members, and it all focuses on creating an environment where business owners can thrive. “The role of the government is not to create wealth but to create an environment in which entrepreneurs can flourish,” Bush said. “To make sure growth lasts, we need to make sure America is the best place in the world to do business.”
Economists in this White House believe limited government is the best way to encourage growth among U.S. businesses. “I think you may agree with me that people can use their money far better than the federal government can,” the president said.
Some of the highlights of the Bush administration’s economic plan include:
- Making tax cuts permanent
- Eliminating the death tax for good
- Reforming the civil justice system
- Reducing paperwork burdens on business owners
- Restoring integrity to America’s boardrooms
- Protecting fair trade
Though the White House has won many small-business friendly victories over the last four years, the president acknowledged there is still a lot of work to be done, especially when it comes to securing affordable health insurance for small businesses. Part of that struggle, Bush said, includes passing meaningful medical liability reform, an issue he has focused on since his early days in office.
He thanked members of the House for working on legislation that would curb frivolous lawsuits against physicians -- which increase the cost of health insurance for everyone. And he asked NFIB members to tell their senators to support similar bills. "I want you to remind people on Capitol Hill that you cannot be pro–small business and pro-trial lawyer at the same time."
Overall the president said he was very optimistic about the future of our nation and its economy. He thanked NFIB for all of its hard work and assured members: “You have a good voice in Washington.”
