Over the course of 2018, through NFIB’s 75th Anniversary, endorsement events, and statehouse visits, I’ve had the opportunity to spend some incredibly valuable time with NFIB members. I’ve heard consistently that business is booming, and that’s often followed up with something along the lines of, “every little thing that comes out of Washington is a problem.”
One of those lesser-known, but havoc-wreaking situations can be found in what is defined as the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule in the Clean Water Act. A little more than three years ago, government agencies issued a new definition of WOTUS that expanded the federal government’s power over private property dramatically. The ensuing situation meant that small business owners who wanted to make even the slightest changes to their own property must navigate a maze of red tape or face tens of thousands of dollars in fines. NFIB sued shortly after, and then the Administration issued an executive order aimed at eliminating the WOTUS rule last year.
The executive order provided some relief for small business owners until a federal judge issued a ruling recently that put the onerous Rule back in place for 22 states. In response, we are asking a federal district court to block the Rule throughout the entire country—to bring relief for our members nationwide. If you have concerns with how the rule will impact your business, please let us know by completing our brief survey.
The good news is that not everything coming out of D.C. these days is a problem for small business. Following our instrumental role that led to the inclusion of the small business pass-through deduction in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, feedback from members has been enormously positive. Small businesses are realizing true savings and are investing that money back into their businesses through hiring, pay increases, and job training. They’re investing back into their community through equipment purchases and expansion.
That’s why we believe it is imperative that this tax cut doesn’t expire or get taken away in the future. We took a major step in that direction last week when the United States House of Representatives voted to make the small business pass-through deduction permanent. As we continue the push for permanence, we’re using all the tools at our disposal to advocate, including briefing the media on why this deduction is so important for small businesses. NFIB’s Senior Vice President for Public Policy Brad Close, who is leading the effort to educate Members of Congress about the benefits of the deduction, told the Wall Street Journal, “The new tax law has been a very big positive for small business and we really just want to see it made permanent.”
Now the ball is in the U.S. Senate’s court. Click here to share how you feel about the small business pass-through deduction and why senators need to make this important deduction permanent before the end of the year.
Whether it is the “below the radar” issues like WOTUS or “front and center” ones like tax reform that keep you up at night, I always welcome your thoughts. NFIB is effective because of the constant dialogue we maintain with our members, so I would encourage you to provide us your feedback through the NFIB ballot. If you haven’t completed you ballot, click here to login and vote now. Thank you for your crucial involvement in the cause to protect small business.
