On June 5th, the House of Representatives were presented the White House Conference on Small Businesses Bill. Representatives Rod Blum (R-IA), Stephanie Murphy (D-FL), and Al Lawson (D-FL), all members of the House Committee of Small Business are signed to introduce the bill to the House of Representatives. This bipartisan bill stands to reinvigorate the relationships between small businesses and the legislation of the United States. These representatives recognize the need for the communication between small businesses and the government if the American economy is to continue to prosper. Small businesses are the backbone of the American dream and are essential to the continuing success of the American economy.
The White House Conference on Small Business were three conferences previously held in 1980, 1986 and 1995 under Presidents Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton. The purpose of these conferences was to nurture a better relationship between the government and American small businesses, and to tackle economic hardships and develop policy solutions. These conferences made many suggestions to the legislature on current situations and future policies that were taken into effect. For example, these conferences led to the installment of state conferences and regional teams being elected to implement the new policies from the 1995 conference. These officials worked with the United States Small Business Association (SBA) who stated that much of the success from these policies were due to these state conferences and regional teams.
These plans support the need for direct communication between small businesses, the state legislation and the federal legislation. The state conferences will implement an improved representation of the small business agenda nationwide. There has not been a White House Conference on Small Business in over twenty years. There has been a lot of change in the American economy and in the business world over the past two decades. Reinstating the Conferences will bridge the gap between the government and American small businesses that has developed. It will regain the trust of small businesses and their owners that their representation has access to all the information that is required to make informed decisions on issues involving them. It will also give underrepresented minorities that have not had the previous ability to voice their opinions on problems revolving around their livelihood.
America’s small businesses make up 99% of the private sector and 64% of the net new private sector jobs. Small businesses are essential to the American economy and is an integral lifestyle of the everyday American. These conferences would provide support to American small businesses and give proper representation to the small business class. It will provide Congress the opportunity to hear the perspective of small business owners and other associations and educate representatives of the current issues and solutions that plague this sector of the American economy. This bill would increase the public awareness of small business contributions, create more jobs, provide an opportunity to review past Conferences, provide a platform for women and minority business owners, and develop and prevent solutions to the legislative and executive branches of the American government.
These conferences are the step in the direction that the United States must take to support its small businesses. It will revive the trust that was once between the government and American small businesses. SGIA stands besides the small businesses that support our economy and advocate for the bill’s implementation.
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