08/17/2004
When the Republican National Committee gathers at the end of the month and presents its platform to the party, there will be one phrase that Republicans will hear a lot of: small business.
Small-business issues are critical to both parties this fall, and small-business owners will be a key voting bloc come November.
The platform is the foundation for all that a party will do in the coming years. For this reason, it is important to look at who is building the GOP platform as the convention approaches:
Chairing the 2004 Republican platform is Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (Tenn.). Frist has fought long and hard for issues vital to small-business success. One of his top priorities is the fight for Small-Business Health Plans (AHPs). Frist also fights continuously for other small-business concerns such as making tax relief permanent and working toward a fairer, more balanced tort system.
“Small-business owners are overtaxed, over-regulated and over-litigated,” Frist said at the 2004 NFIB National Small Business Summit. “Class-action abuse drives up prices of almost every consumer good. Frivolous lawsuits make us less competitive and prosperous at home.”
Frist has been an NFIB small-business Guardian Award winner for every Congress in which he’s served, signifying that he’s voted favorably on NFIB Key Votes.
Working alongside Frist on the platform are Anne Phelps, a veteran Republican insider; Ginny Wolfe, a longtime Republican strategist; Rep. Melissa Hart (Pa.); and Colorado Gov. Bill Owens.
Be Heard!
You, too, can work alongside Frist in an effort to keep small business a top priority in 2004. Your ideas count when it comes to the 2004 Republican platform, so don’t miss your opportunity to share what you think is most important. Contribute to the platform on the RNC Convention Web site and tell the committee that small business and small-business concerns are defining issues for you this election season.
