July 14, 2026
NFIB President highlights small business contributions to economy
What it means: NFIB President Brad Close wrote an opinion article published in the Washington Examiner highlighting the historic contributions of small businesses in honor of America’s 250th anniversary and explaining how overreaching economic and regulatory policies limit their growth and development.
Our take: “My organization hears from small business owners about excessive government burdens every day,” NFIB President Brad Close said. “It’s not just taxes and red tape. The cost of healthcare is another major concern, because small businesses typically pay more than big businesses. Federal and state workforce and labor mandates make it hard for Main Street to hire and grow. Small business owners aren’t looking for a handout — they just want the government to get out of the way and let them build, hire, and serve their communities.”
Take Action: Share how government regulations affect your business with this short survey.
Small businesses have shaped and been inspired by the ideals, spirit, and economy of the United States since its founding. In an opinion editorial published in the Washington Examiner, NFIB President Brad Close explores the historic contributions from small businesses while examining the policy decisions that negatively impact their ability to grow and give back to their communities.
“Unlike Wall Street, Main Street businesses don’t have the armies of lawyers and accountants to make sense of the mandate mess, so the burden falls heaviest on them,” Close said. “Unreasonable government regulations rank among the 10 most severe problems for small business owners.”
Regulatory policies are not the only thing disproportionately affecting small businesses, though. Among other issues, healthcare costs and taxes saddle small business owners with unreasonable burdens on already tight margins.
Congress can provide relief for millions of small businesses by reducing the government burdens on small businesses and stripping away the labor mandates that back business owners into a corner. Read the full opinion editorial published in the Washington Examiner for a closer look into the history and modern challenges for small business.
Take Action: Fill out a short survey to show lawmakers how excessive regulations harm your small business!
NFIB is a member-driven organization advocating on behalf of small and independent businesses nationwide.
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