As early as this week, our elected officials in Washington will take a healthcare vote that would devastate small business. Not only does the plan spend $900 billion that we don’t have, but it’s paid for on the backs of small business. This is not the reform small business asked for — we need reform that lowers our healthcare costs, and the bill Congress is trying to jam through simply does not do that.
Instead, they are forcing a bill with a new $6.7 billion annual tax on small businesses’ health insurance plans – not big business or unions (they were exempted). They single out the already-struggling construction industry by forcing a new healthcare mandate on firms with more than 5 employees and $250K payroll. And they are now working to force small businesses to pay for insurance for all part-time employees as well. How do any of these provisions help a small business afford healthcare or create jobs, especially in this economy?
So, as state director of the National Federation of Independent Business, I have to ask: Who is really working for small business? As we watch Congress ignore our protests and pursue this bill, it is up to us to let them know they are pursuing policies that threaten the livelihood of South Carolina’s small business owners and everyone who works for them. As far as I’m concerned, any member of Congress who votes for this legislation is voting against small business, and you can bet we’ll remember that on Election Day.
(Editor’s note: The writer is the state director of the National Federation of Independent Business/South Carolina.)
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