Washington Journal’s C-SPAN segment highlighted current policies in Congress
On the morning of Nov. 23, Vice President of Federal Government Relations Kevin Kuhlman appeared on the Washington Journal series of C-SPAN to discuss the State of Small Businesses. Hosted by Pedro Echevarria, Kuhlman talked about the impact of the Biden Administration’s policies on small businesses and answered questions from callers.
Echevarria and Kuhlman discussed topics and questions including:
- Small Business Surtax
- Paid Family & Medical Leave program
- OSHA vaccine mandate and implementation
- Inflation
- COVID-19 relief programs
- Supply chain disruptions
- Labor shortages
- Build Back Better Act
“Overall, there’s a lot to digest and I think small business owners are quite frankly overwhelmed,” Kuhlman says after listing the proposals in the Build Back Better Act legislation that may impact small businesses.
NFIB has analyzed various paid leave proposals for years and implementing such an expansive program in only two years will hurt small businesses. “Half of small business owners cannot fill open positions. That requires a flexible arrangement,” Kuhlman explains. “Previously, businesses with fewer than 50 employees were not subject to the Family Medical Leave Act. So, they’re really unfamiliar with paid family and medical leave requirements and policies… It’s an unfamiliar policy that could disrupt or exacerbate their labor force challenges.”
The Biden Administration’s assessment of the economy’s strength and being in a position to attack inflation can only come to fruition if we look at the root cause of inflation. “The American economy isn’t going to fully recover to pre-pandemic levels until the small business half of the economy has recovered,” added Kuhlman. “So, our advice to Congress and the Administration is to do no harm to these small businesses. Create an environment to help these small businesses survive and thrive.”
For additional resources on COVID-19 relief programs, visit the Small Business Administration website. Learn more about NFIB’s Small Business Survival campaign and how to get involved here.
As a small business owner, you can Take Action by reaching out with your personal story to your member of Congress to express your concerns with the Small Business Surtax, increased penalties, or inflexible Paid Family and Medical Leave Program.
